What is a Concerto?
Have you ever heard of a concerto (pronounced “con-CHAIR-toe”)? This genre of classical music is like a conversation between a single instrument and an orchestra – sometimes they talk one at a time, and sometimes they talk together. It’s a great way to show off the skills of a talented musician.
Let’s explore the concerto by learning a few music terms and listening to three famous examples from history!
Terms to Know:
Soloist – a musician who plays a piece of music, or part of a piece of music, by themselves.
Movement (review) – A section of a composition that can be played independently. Another way to think about movements is a pop music album and the songs included on that album. The album is the composition, and each song is a “movement” of the work as a whole.
Melody (review) – the “tune” of a piece of music; the sequence of notes the listener will typically remember and hum from time to time.
Tutti – an Italian word meaning “everyone” or “altogether,” usually following a section of music where only the soloist is playing.
Cadenza – an extended solo passage that shows off the skills of the featured performer.
Virtuoso – a musician with an extraordinary level of skill on their instrument
What is a Concerto?
In Italian, the word “concerto” means “playing together,” which seems similar to a symphony, doesn’t it? In fact, it IS similar to a symphony in that it is a musical work for orchestra. However, what makes it different from a symphony is that it also involves a featured soloist.
A concerto is typically written in three movements, with a fast-slow-fast structure. In performance, the soloist stands (or sits, as in the case of a pianist) at a prominent spot in front of the stage, with the orchestra behind them. This allows the audience to both see and hear the soloist well.
Famous Concertos from History
Clarinet Concerto in A Major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Did you know that Mozart’s famous Clarinet Concerto in A Major was the first of its kind to feature a CLARINET as a featured soloist? Mozart played a big role in popularizing the wind instrument. Let’s listen to the second movement of this piece of music, where the clarinet soloist plays the beautiful lyrical melody and the orchestra plays along in the background, “responding” to the soloist’s phrases.
Piano Concerto No. 2 in c minor by Sergei Rachmaninov
In Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in c minor, the piano soloist begins the music alone, without the orchestra. Once the music gets going, the orchestra joins the soloist in an exciting moment of union. By the way, when all musicians play together in an orchestra, the music score will include the word, tutti, meaning “altogether.” Rachmaninov was especially famous for his piano music, and this concerto is a well-known example of his dazzling writing for the keyboard instrument.
Violin Concerto in D Major by Johannes Brahms
A common feature of the concerto is the cadenza, which gives the soloist the opportunity to show off their skills and dazzle the audience. A well-known example of a cadenza takes place at the end of the first movement of Johannes Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D Major. The orchestra remains quiet as the soloist takes the audience on a journey, showing off their amazing violin skills. While writing this piece, Brahms sought the guidance of virtuoso violinist and friend Joseph Joachim, who helped Brahms write the parts for the violin soloist.
If you’d like to skip ahead to the cadenza in the video below, start at 18:05.
What was your favorite musical work that you listened to today, and why? If you were to write a concerto, which instrument would you write as the featured soloist?
Before you go, be sure to check out all our music terms blog posts here!