What is a Concerto Grosso?
Q: What is a Concerto Grosso?
A: A Concerto Grosso is a piece of music from the 18th century in which there are a small group of instruments and a large group of instruments. These two groups are contrasted with one another, and sometimes both play together, or one plays by itself, or the two groups might imitate one another.
Q: What is the small group called?
A: The small group is called “concertino”.
Q: What does "Concerto grosso" mean in Italian?
A: "Concerto grosso" means "big concerto" in Italian.
Q: How many movements does a concerto grosso have?
A: A concerto grosso has several parts that differ in speed and character, usually three movements; the first is fast, the second is slow, and the last is fast.
Q: Who made this type of music popular?
A: The composer who made the concerto grosso very popular was the Italian Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713).
Q: What combination of instruments did Corelli use for his Concerti Grossi?
A: The instruments in the small group of soloists in Corelli's Concerti Grossi were usually two violins and one cello.
Q: Did any other composers write pieces similar to Concerti Grossi after Baroque period?
A: Yes, some composers such as Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) and Bela Bartok (1881-1945), wrote pieces of music that are like concerti grossi after Baroque period.
