Concertos are classified primarily their style and the musical instruments used. Concertos can include a wide range of instruments and can range from classical compositions like Mozart’s to modern variations. You don’t need to know about the different types of concertos to appreciate and enjoy this musical form, though a deeper understanding of the styles and their history can provide you with some interesting facts.
A concerto is a musical composition written for a solo instrument and orchestra, though some concertos feature more than one instrument as the focal point of the piece. Most concertos are composed of three movements, which allows the piece to develop and play with a theme while also showcasing the musicians’ abilities and the beauty of the instruments involved.
Concertos are divided into four categories: baroque, classical, romantic, and modern. The concerto grosso, a composition in which the music is passed back and forth between a small group of instruments, known as the concertino, and a larger orchestra, known as the ripieno, emerged during the baroque period. Composers branched out in the classical period, developing concertos for specific instruments alone, as well as pieces that combined plays on various themes, after laying the groundwork during the baroque period.
Romantic concertos are more ornate and embellished, with more florid and complex music. Due to the versatility of the violin and the many beautiful ways in which it can be used, the violin concerto flourished during the romantic period. Modern concertos range in style from classically inspired pieces to more difficult avant-garde works that require a great deal of effort from both the listener and the musicians.
Because the focus of a concerto is typically a single instrument, it is also possible to divide concertos the types of instruments used, in addition to looking at types of concertos style. Concertos can be written for the piano, violin, viola, flute, cello, bass, and other instruments, with a double concerto focusing on two instruments rather than a solo instrument. Double concertos have a full, rich sound that is impossible to achieve with just one instrument.