AoS2: The Concerto Through Time
Key Terms:
• Solo
• Accompaniment - orchestra
• Continuo - harpsichord and cello accompaniment
• Tutti - everyone plays
• Ripieno - the larger group in a concerto grosso
• Concertino - the smaller group in a concerto grosso
• Cadenza - unaccompanied passage for the soloist
• Virtuosic - technically difficult and impressive
• Introduction
• Coda
The Baroque Period
Composers:
• Vivaldi
• Handel
• Bach
• Corelli
• Telemann
Musical Features:
• The use of a continuo section with harpsichord
• Small orchestra
• Varied textures
o melody and accompaniment
o homophonic
o polyphonic or contrapuntal (independent melodies)
• Decorative melodies (ornamentation) – trills, turns, mordent, appoggiatura
• Balanced phrases
• Modulations and diatonic harmony
• Ritornello section – passage of music that keeps repeating
• Major key
• Use of chords
• Sequences
, The Concerto Grosso
Instead of one solo instrument, a concerto grosso has a small group of soloists –
usually two to three instruments.
The two contrasting groups of instruments are:
• The concertino section – the soloists (think bambino)
• The ripieno – the rest of the orchestra, including the continuo (think ‘r’)
The Concerto Solo
This genre is written for one solo instrument – there are always passages for the
orchestra (tutti) and passages for the soloist accompanied by just the continuo.
The Classical Period
There is only one type of classical concerto – the solo concerto.
Composers:
• Haydn
• Mozart
• Beethoven
Musical Features:
• The invention of piano and clarinet
• Balanced phrases (with more question/answer style phrases0
• Diatonic harmony
• Melody and accompaniment
• Use of ornamentation
• The use of Alberti bass (broken chord accompaniment figure)
• More extreme and moderate dynamics
• The role of woodwind and brass
• No continuo
• Use of primary harmony (chords I, IV and V)
• Clear cadences at the end of phrases and sections
• The development of the cadenza – usually improvised
The Romantic Period
Only the solo concerto appears in this period as well.
Composers:
• Late Beethoven
• Brahms
Key Terms:
• Solo
• Accompaniment - orchestra
• Continuo - harpsichord and cello accompaniment
• Tutti - everyone plays
• Ripieno - the larger group in a concerto grosso
• Concertino - the smaller group in a concerto grosso
• Cadenza - unaccompanied passage for the soloist
• Virtuosic - technically difficult and impressive
• Introduction
• Coda
The Baroque Period
Composers:
• Vivaldi
• Handel
• Bach
• Corelli
• Telemann
Musical Features:
• The use of a continuo section with harpsichord
• Small orchestra
• Varied textures
o melody and accompaniment
o homophonic
o polyphonic or contrapuntal (independent melodies)
• Decorative melodies (ornamentation) – trills, turns, mordent, appoggiatura
• Balanced phrases
• Modulations and diatonic harmony
• Ritornello section – passage of music that keeps repeating
• Major key
• Use of chords
• Sequences
, The Concerto Grosso
Instead of one solo instrument, a concerto grosso has a small group of soloists –
usually two to three instruments.
The two contrasting groups of instruments are:
• The concertino section – the soloists (think bambino)
• The ripieno – the rest of the orchestra, including the continuo (think ‘r’)
The Concerto Solo
This genre is written for one solo instrument – there are always passages for the
orchestra (tutti) and passages for the soloist accompanied by just the continuo.
The Classical Period
There is only one type of classical concerto – the solo concerto.
Composers:
• Haydn
• Mozart
• Beethoven
Musical Features:
• The invention of piano and clarinet
• Balanced phrases (with more question/answer style phrases0
• Diatonic harmony
• Melody and accompaniment
• Use of ornamentation
• The use of Alberti bass (broken chord accompaniment figure)
• More extreme and moderate dynamics
• The role of woodwind and brass
• No continuo
• Use of primary harmony (chords I, IV and V)
• Clear cadences at the end of phrases and sections
• The development of the cadenza – usually improvised
The Romantic Period
Only the solo concerto appears in this period as well.
Composers:
• Late Beethoven
• Brahms
