Concerto

Concerto, a musical composition for a solo instrument, with orchestral accompaniments, calculated to give the performer an opportunity to display the highest mechanical skill, as well as intellectual cultivation in the art. The concerto consists of three movements, each of which, like the whole, has a certain character, and like the symphony or the sonata, to which it approximates in form, requires a clear development and treatment of the motives, and a strict adherence to the rules of form. A peculiar feature, usually introduced in the first movement, but frequently also in the last, is the Cadenza (q.v.). When the form is in any way abridged, it is then called a concertino. From the beginning of the last century to the present time, the pianoforte and the violin are the solo instruments mostly used for the concerto. The oldest violin concertos are those by Torelli, the first being published in 1686. The form was developed by Corelli, Tartini, Bach, and Handel, and reached its modern shape under Mozart, though some important modifications were introduced by Beethoven, whose violin concerto and pianoforte concertos are regarded as the highest achievements in this form. Concertos for wind-instruments have been less regarded, and are generally written by the performers themselves, and seldom deserve to be called classical works. Weber's clarinet concerto may be mentioned as one of the few exceptions. There are also concertos for various combinations of solo instruments, such as Bach's for two or more pianofortes, or Beethoven's for piano, violin, and violoncello.