The Concerto

918 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The baroque period loved

The Concerto

Since the Baroque era, the concerto has played a vital role in the music world. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, a concerto is “a composition for one or more soloists and orchestra with three contrasting movements.” There are two main types: the concerto grosso and the classical concerto; both will be discussed later. While the term concerto is relatively easy to understand in context, when put into use the term becomes more complicated to define.

The basic elements that make up a concerto include three movements with one movement usually dedicated for a solo instrument such as the piano or violin with orchestra accompaniment. Since the late 18th century, the first movement is most likely in the sonata form while the second movement is in the ternary form. The third movement is in the ronde form. In the first movement in particular, there are typically three major parts. These components are categorized based on the thematic and harmonic tonal materials that are defined in the exposition, elaborated on in the development, and harmonically resolved in the recapitulation. Each part of the first movement plays a significant role in the structure and progression of the piece. In the exposition stage, the dominant or secondary key is stated as well the principal theme. Following this stage, a transition occurs and then the development section begins. In this section, the themes stated in the exposition are altered and sometimes juxtaposed to include a new theme. Another transition occurs and the recapitulation ends the first movement. In this stage, the themes that were in the exposition are repeated in the tonic key of the movement.

The concerto grosso was a key player in the baroque era. According the...

... middle of paper ...

... found in contemporary uses such as the piano concerto. In the 20th century in particular, Bartok's “Concerto for Orchestra” and Zwilich's “Concerto Grosso 1985” were pieces that found their beginnings in the concerto movement. It was a style that was used for both soloists and the orchestra.

Works Cited

"Concerto - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. .

"Concerto Grosso - New World Encyclopedia." Info:Main Page - New World Encyclopedia. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. .

Megill, Donald D., David W. Megill, and Jeffrey Ainis. "Lesson Eleven Musical Themes and Developments Topics 1-5." Music Appreciation Online. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt, 2007. 101. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Sinfonia In D

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    Giuseppe Torelli, was an Italian violinist, teacher and composer, is considered one of the early developers of the Baroque concerto and concerto grosso. Torelli also composed a significant number of works for the trumpet during the Baroque period (1600-1750). Around 1690, one can begin to see the first works for the trumpet. He was familiar with the virtuoso trumpeter, Giovanni Pellegrino Brandi. Brandi would sometimes play with the San Petronio orchestra, of which Torelli was violin player. This acquaintance could explain Torelli’s awareness of the trumpet’s timbre, dynamic range, and expressive capabilities.

    Read More

  • Concert Band Research Paper

    1989 Words  | 4 Pages

    The history of the Concert Band and Wind Ensemble will be reflected through a timeline of events, including an analysis of significant events, groups, composers, and advancements. When society envisions a Wind Ensemble, talented musicians, grand music halls, and difficult arrangements typically come to mind. However, a modern-day Wind Ensemble includes a variety of musicians, each with positive and negative aspects. In society today, music is greatly appreciated and accepted. It is considered an honor and a privilege to expose our ears to the music.

    Read More

  • Sonata Allegro Form

    434 Words  | 1 Pages

    Sonata form, or sonata allegro form, consisted of three major sections: exposition, development, and recapitulation. Exposition presented the main theme of the movement in the tonic key. Then the theme transitioned by a bridge to the dominant key if the movement was major or to the relative major if the movement was in a minor key. The second theme, usually given in the dominant key, cadenced at the codetta with a double bar.

    Read More

  • Beethoven, Bach And Bartok: Comparisons

    3266 Words  | 7 Pages

    TitleAuthor/ EditorPublisherDate James Galways’ Music in TimeWilliam MannMichael Beazley Publishers1982 The Concise Oxford History of MusicGerald AbrahamOxford University Press1979 Music in Western CivilizationPaul Henry LangW. W. Norton and Company1941 The Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Classical MusicRobert AinsleyCarlton Books Limited1995 The Cambridge Music GuideStanley SadieCambridge University Press1985 School text: Western European Orchestral MusicMary AllenHamilton Girls’ High School1999 History of MusicRoy BennettCambridge University Press1982 Classical Music for DummiesDavid PogueIDG Books Worldwide,Inc1997

    Read More

  • The Late Baroque Style Compared to the Classical Style

    526 Words  | 2 Pages

    As the late Baroque period morphed into the new period known as the classical period, technological advances and new compositional techniques and ideas created new opportunities for the musicians of the period. The changes allowed for new performance techniques, forms, performance venues, and newly available compositional orchestrations to be improved and evolved into something new and improved for the new period.

    Read More

  • The History of the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival

    3126 Words  | 7 Pages

    Zorn, J (1989, Nov.). The changing role of instrumental music. Music Educators Journal. 76(3), 21-24.

    Read More

  • Biography of Giovanni Gabrieli

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gabrieli, Giovanni. Sacrae Symphoniae: Sonata Pian e Forte. John Wallace, Simon Wright, and the Wallace Collection. Simon Wright. Nimbus Records NI5236, 2012. Streaming audio. http://naxosmusiclibrary.com.

    Read More

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    941 Words  | 2 Pages

    Willoughby, David. "Chapter 11." The World of Music. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. 249-53. Print.

    Read More

  • Baroque Era Music Compared to Modern Rock

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    Classical Vault 2, dir. Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No 3 in G major, BWV 1048 Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. YouTube, 2013. Web. 21 Mar 2014. .

    Read More

  • Instrumental Music Through the Eras

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are two pieces in our Renaissance Era musical feature this evening, the first by Pierre Phalèse called Passamezzo d'Italye - Reprise – Gaillarde. Phalèse began as a bookseller in 1545 and not long after he set up a publishing house. By 1575 he had around 189 music books. Much of his work was devoted to sacred music but there was a small amount of Flemish songs and instrumental works. Phalèse borrowed work from many composers and did not hesitate to include other composer’s music in his works. The sec...

    Read More

  • The Classic Period in Music

    409 Words  | 1 Pages

    Unlike the concertos of the baroque period, the classic era mainly emphasized the solo concerto. The choice of solo instrument, however, was somewhat broader then in the baroque era. There was more of a trend during the classical period towards keyboard concertos. This style was originated in North Germany, by C.P.E. Bach, and gradually spread to other areas. Mozart took the concerto to its greatest heights. "His incomparable ability to weave the complex strands of the concerto fabric without entangling or obscuring either soloist or orchestra has never been surpassed.

    Read More

  • Giuseppe Torelli's Contribution To The Development Of The Instrumental Concerto

    973 Words  | 2 Pages

    Giuseppe Torelli, baroque violinist and composer, is most known for his contributions to the development of the instrumental concerto. Torelli is also noted as being the most prolific composer of baroque trumpet repertoire, with Concerto for Trumpet in D Major being one of his most renowned works that is still widely performed to this day.

    Read More

  • A Complete Analysis of The Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Opus 26

    2023 Words  | 5 Pages

    Kenyon, Nicholas. “Max Bruch (1838-1920).” The BBC Proms Pocket Guide to Great Concertos. London: Faber and Faber, 2003. 60-62. Print.

    Read More

  • The Baroque Era of Music

    527 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Baroque period of music lasted from approximately 1600 – 1750 AD. It falls into the Common Practice period and was the most predominant style of writing after the Renaissance period and before the Classical period (the Classical period uses many elements from the Baroque period). The word Baroque means highly decorated and essentially gives us an insight into what the music of the time was like. Many pieces in the Baroque style have three or four different parts which work together to produce a melodic melody which modulates to relative keys. The Baroque period developed from the Renaissance period. These two periods shared the same idea of counterpoint, yet Baroque music differed from that of the Renaissance period by having stronger rhythms and longer melodies. The era was the beginning of a number of dance suites which all have different characteristics. For example the Minuet in simple triple time does not have an anacrusis and is graceful whilst the gigue is in compound duple time, has a short anacrusis and is often very contrapuntal (where the melody is shared between two o...

    Read More

  • Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Analysis

    2596 Words  | 6 Pages

    “‘Concerto’ described works whose individual lines, instrumental or vocal, were assembled into a harmonious whole (Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra).”The conductor of this piece was Pierre Boulez. This composition has five moments which are the introduction, games of Paris, elegy, interrupted Intermezzo, and the finale. The instruments I noticed in this performance were the Violin, Viola, Cello, Flute, Timpani, Horn, Harps, Double Basses, Oboe and Tuba. According to the program this took place at the Hieronymus Monastery in Lisbon, Portugal. The Hieronymus Monastery is a gorgeous performance space. The monastery has high ceilings with a large arch. The ceilings even have a beautiful circular designs there is several arches within the buildings that give the area a sophisticated appearance. The color gives the place a golden tone. Where the audience is sitting there is columns in the middle with an intricate design on each one and the columns seem to have a glow effect. The space behind the orchestra is a wall with beautiful designs and arches. Within these arches are mosaic pictures that add color to the golden tone. This place is so exquisite it leaves one speechless. When the conductor comes onto stage the audience claps and the conductor bows. Boulez was much different in his entrance then Janson, Janson smiled when bowing as Boulez did not. The first movement

    Read More

More about The Concerto

Open Document