Concertos of Various Kinds [Something Interesting #58]

Alex Bemish
4 days ago
2 min read

While I've built up a large set of knowledge regarding popular music, I'm still a relative neophyte when it comes to understanding classical music (funny, considering spending six or so years learning how to play the violin to little effect). That said, I do like to dip in from time to time and learn more about the various genres and movements associated with it. My personal favorite of these has usually been the concerto, which can simply be described as

"a piece of instrumental music for soloist contrasted by an ensemble (either a small group of musicians or a full orchestra)" [ClassicFM].

To go into a little more detail, the authors of The Classical Music Book: Big Ideas, Simply Explained describes it this way in their entry on Corelli's concerto grossos:

The Italian term "concerto" was initially used to describe any music for voices and added instruments, with a distinction evolving in the early 17th century between concerti ecclesiastici (church music) and concerti di camera (chamber music). By the late 18th century it had evolved into the much grander showcase for virtuosity that is familiar today, but its roots lie in the modest setup of a small group of soloists and a string ensemble with continuo (bass line), as developed by the Italian composer Arcangelo Corelli around the turn of the 18th century.

For anyone who's looking for some beautiful concertos or learning about their intricacies, this post collects more information and several playlists to listen to while reading up: