concerto

/kən'tʃə:tou/

Thân thiện

A pianist performs a concerto with a symphony orchestra.

Definition

Noun A musical composition, typically in three movements, written for one or more solo instruments accompanied by an orchestra.

Usage

The word "concerto" refers specifically to a large-scale classical music form that highlights a dialogue or contrast between the soloist(s) and the full orchestra. It is a standard genre in Western classical music.

Examples

• Beethoven's is one of the most famous works for violin and orchestra.
• The pianist spent months practicing the challenging Rachmaninoff .
• The program tonight features a concerto for flute and harp by Mozart.

Advanced Usage

• Double/Triple/Quadruple Concerto: A concerto written for two, three, or four soloists with orchestra.
  • Brahms composed a celebrated Double Concerto for violin and cello.
• The term can be used metaphorically to describe any situation featuring a prominent individual or element against a supportive background.
  • The lead guitarist played a blistering solo, turning the song into a rock concerto.

Variants and Related Words

• Concerto Grosso (n): A Baroque-era form of concerto characterized by a small group of soloists (the ) contrasted with the full orchestra (the ).
  • Corelli and Handel were masters of the concerto grosso.

Synonyms

• Composition (a more general term for any piece of music)
• Work (a general term for a piece of art or music)

Related Idioms or Phrases

• In concerto: While not a common idiom, this phrase can be used literally to mean "in the manner of a concerto" or "as a coordinated whole," playing on the word's root related to "concert" (agreement, harmony).
  • The various departments worked in concerto to launch the new product.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a composition for orchestra and a soloist