Who said that there are no arguments in music? On the contrary, the never-ending “competition” is an inseparable part of music itself, be it between instruments, within the dynamics or through the phrasing. In a solo concerto, a virtuosic soloist duels with the accompanying orchestra, and all being well, in the end, everybody wins! Browse our sheet music and scores, and explore all concertos from all eras with Stretta today!
The word “Concerto” is derived from the Latin term “concertare”, which means to dispute, contend or fight, while the same word took on a completely opposite meaning in Italian, to harmonise. The term was initially used for sacred choral compositions with bass accompaniment. First the Italian baroque composers Alessandro Stradella, Giuseppe Torelli and Arcangelo Corelli began to compose in the instrumental form that we now call “Concerto Grosso”. It consists of a small group of solo instruments, a “Concertino”, and a larger accompanying orchestra, the “Ripieno”, with basso continuo.
In the high baroque period, the first solo instrumental concertos began to appear, with a classic three-movement structure, for one, but sometimes for two or more instruments. The master of this form was without a doubt Antonio Vivaldi, from whose pen, to this day, 447 concertos have survived, 226 of them for violin. Vivaldi’s best-known concerto is his violin concerto Four Seasons. Both Bach and Handel are also well known for their concertos.
The solo concerto was also very popular in the classical period. All great composers who were accomplished pianists or instrumentalists wrote solo concertos, often for themselves, but also for other contemporary virtuosos, here are a few great classical solo concertos:
In the romantic period, almost all major composers devoted themselves to solo or double concertos of all kinds. Here are a few romantic favourites:
RV 409
for: Cello, strings, basso continuo
Score, Parts, Piano reduction
Item no.: 1215791
RV 278
for: Violin, strings, basso continuo
Score, Parts, Piano reduction
Item no.: 1161829
Classical Play-Along Volume 17
for: Voice; piano ad lib.
Music score, Playback-CD
Item no.: 693510
Eulenburg Studienpartituren
for: Piano, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 391912
Concerto del Signr. Meck, appropriato all'Organo
for: Organ, strings
Score
Item no.: 367608
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 817117
Reconstructed from BWV 169, 49, 1053
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Viola, strings, basso continuo
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 205808
Bärenreiter's Concert Pieces
for: Violin, orchestra
Klavierauszug, Stimme
Item no.: 612198
for: Violin, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 391909
for: Piano, orchestra
Book
Item no.: 187868
for: Flute, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 656406
Original Version
Urtext
for: Cello, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 781386
for: Trumpet (B-flat/C), piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 330022
Eulenburg Studienpartituren
for: Cello, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 392403
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part, online audio (playback)
Item no.: 643493
2 Solo Pieces with Wind Ensemble Accompaniment
Home Concerti
for: Flute
Music score, Playback-CD
Item no.: 300350
for: Clarinet, string orchestra, harp, piano
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 632401
for: Oboe, strings, basso continuo
Piano reduction
Item no.: 329614
for: Oboe, piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 109125
for: Oboe, strings, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 109013
for: Flute
Music score, online playback
Item no.: 494352
for: Violin [flute], viola da gamba [cello], harpsichord [piano]
Score, Parts
Item no.: 255284
for: Violin, strings, basso continuo
Set of parts
Item no.: 774452
from the Concerto in A major
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Clarinet, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 1582651
Erstausgabe
Denkmäler der Musik in Baden-Württemberg
Ausgabe für die Praxis
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 296885
for: Clarinet, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 299752
Ausgabe für zwei Klaviere
in Partitur gedruckt; zur Aufführung werden zwei Exemplare benötigt (Urtextausgabe)
for: 2 pianos
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 286079
for: Trumpet (B-flat/C), piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 313523
for: Flute, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 193643
for: Horn, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 245512
Edition Schott
for: Cello, strings, harpsichord
Piano reduction
Item no.: 741295
Edition Schott
for: Violin, string orchestra
Score
Item no.: 746650
for violin and orchestra
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 756440
for Trumpet (Clarino), 2 Oboes, Strings and Continuo
First Edition
for: Trumpet (D), piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 109182
for alto saxophone and string orchestra
Piano score and solo part
for: Alto saxophone, string orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 168298
for: Clarinet, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 123011
for: 2 oboes, strings
Piano reduction, 2 Parts
Item no.: 182898
for: Oboe, strings, basso continuo
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 109012
for: 2 oboes, strings
Score
Item no.: 226907
for: Violin, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 108759
Arrangement for two pianos
Two copies needed for performance
for: 2 pianos
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 679819
for: Horn, string orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 470486
for: Piano
Music score, online playback
Item no.: 413420
Urtext
for: Flute, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 298466
two copies needed for performance
Orchestral material from Breitkopf & Härtel
for: Piano, orchestra
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 478994
for violin and orchestra
for: Violin, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 736875
for: Violin, string orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 401427
Two copies needed for performance
for: 2 pianos
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 401413
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