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The Baroque Concerto. Origins of the term, “concerto”. “Concerto” probably came from the Latin word ‘concentare’ which means both… To contend, dispute, or debate. To work together with someone. Both apply well to this form of music. Renaissance ensembles.
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Origins of the term, “concerto” • “Concerto” probably came from the Latin word ‘concentare’ which means both… • To contend, dispute, or debate. • To work together with someone. Both apply well to this form of music.
Renaissance ensembles • In the Renaissance, the preference was for ensembles of uniform or matching instruments called “consorts.” • For example and ensemble of all recorders (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) was called a “recorder consort.”
The Baroque Concerto • The concerto was an ensemble that had contrasting instrumental groups that alternately “contended” and “worked with” each other. Different types of concertos developed.
Types of Concerti • The “Grand Concerto” was the first type of concerto to develop. It featured huge ensembles with voices and instruments on equal footing. • The “Solo Concerto” used a single instrument in opposition to the accompanying ensemble. • The “Concerto Grosso” means ‘large concerto’ and featured a group of solo instruments in opposition to the accompanying ensemble.
The Grand Concerto • This type of work, sometimes called a “sacred concerto” was one of the first to carry the title of ‘concerto.’ • These concertos doesn’t resemble the works we usually consider to be concertos. They were massive works for vocal soloists, choruses and an orchestra – all given equal importance. An ensemble of this make-up was a contradiction of the Renaissance ‘consort’ ideal and exemplified the term, “concentare.” • These evolved into the solo and choral cantatas for which J.S. Bach is so famous.
Grand Concerto Composers • Giovanni Gabrielli - composer of antiphonal, polychoral works for St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice. • Heinrich Schütz – the first great German composer of the Baroque era. A student of Gabrielli’s, his famous works include several ‘Symphoniae sacrae’ and ‘Small sacred concerti.’ (Creative titles, yes?...) • Johann Hermann Schein – another German composer who wrote smaller concertos, focused more on solo voices.
Instrumental Concerto Form • The form of the Baroque instrumental concerto is based on alternating between two contrasting passages of music – the ritornello & solo. • “Ritornello” can be thought of as the recognizable ‘main theme.’ It is usually played by the full ensemble. • The “Solo” passages are played by the single soloist or group of soloists.
Ritornello from “Concerto in E major for Violin” by J.S. Bach
“The Ritornello Strikes Back” • The Italian word “ritorno” means ‘return.’ • The ritornello reappears basically unaltered throughout the entire concerto, although it may not always be the full, complete ritornello. • The solo passages are interspersed between the ritornellos. New music is typically written for the solo passages, although it may feature fragments or “motives” from the ritornello theme.
Two solo passages from J.S. Bach’s Violin Concerto in E major.
Back and Forth • So, the form of the instrumental concerto is really pretty simple – alternate between the full group’s ritornellos and the solo passages. Ritornello – Solo – Ritornello – Solo - Ritornello • One of the differences between various composers and concertos lies in how many alternations there are in the concerto, and the amount of contrast between the two sections.
The Concerto Grosso • The purely instrumental version of the ‘grand concerto’ is the concerto grosso. • Although the solo group (called the ‘concertino’) was most often 2 violins and a cello, other combinations were not uncommon. It could vary from 2 solo cellos to a large collection of woodwind, brass, and string instruments. • The rest of orchestra (non-soloists) were known as the ‘ripieno’.
Concerto Grosso Composers • Arcangelo Corelli – published the first famous set of concerti grossi. In these works, the soloists’ music was often the same as the ‘ripieno’ players’ music. • George Frederick Handel – a late Baroque composer who wrote very sophisticated and elegant concertos, where the solo parts had more contrasting music to play. • Johann Sebastian Bach – Bach’s “Brandenburg Concertos” are concerti grossi, as is the famous Double Violin Concerto.
The Solo Concerto • Giuseppe Torelli – one of the first composers to give the soloist contrasting material to play. He is well-known for some solo trumpet concertos he wrote. • J.S. Bach – wrote many solo concertos, including works for harpsichord. • Antonio Vivaldi – arguably the greatest master of the Baroque concerto. In Vivaldi’s hands, the solo parts took on true virtuosity. He wrote over 400 concertos for solo instruments and concerto grosso combinations!
Listening Exercise Try to find a complete recording of the first movement of J.S. Bach’s “Concerto in E major for Violin.” • On a piece of paper, graph the alternations between Ritornello and solo. • For the solo sections, write verbal descriptions of how the solo passage contrasts with the Ritornelli.
Summary • A Concerto features contrasting groups of instruments working ‘against’ and ‘with’ each other. (“concentare”) • Common types of Baroque concerti include the Grand Concerto, Solo Concerto, and Concerto Grosso. • The form of the instrumental concerto alternates between the ritornello, played by the full group, and the solo passages.
