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:
Facsimile after the autograph of the Library of Congress, Washington.
With a commentary (German/English) by Douglas Jarman
Meisterwerke der Musik im Faksimile 22
for: Violin, orchestra
Score (facsimile)
Item no.: 608492
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Piano, orchestra
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116798
Russische Musik der Moderne
for: Violin, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 108867
for: Oboe, piano
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 209176
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 2 pianos, orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 373042
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Harpsichord, orchestra
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 149204
"Triple Concerto"
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Violin, cello, piano, orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 603977
for: Piano, orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 1665540
with marked and unmarked string parts
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 401304
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Flute, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 117451
with marked and unmarked string parts
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 401429
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 197790
Edition Peters Green Series
for: 2 pianos
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 622436
"Petit Concerto"
for: Guitar, orchestra
Stimmensatz Oboe I, Oboe II, Horn I, Horn II, 4 Violinen I, 4 Violinen II, 2 Violen, 4 Violoncelli/Kontrabässe
Item no.: 729127
arrangiert für Schulorchester
for: Symphonic school orchestra
Score
Item no.: 275602
Versenymű oboára és zenekarra
for: Oboe, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 254952
Il Flauto traverso
for: Flute, string orchestra, basso continuo
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 393379
Two copies needed for performance
for: 2 pianos
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 229046
with Beethoven's original cadenzas
– Two copies needed for performance –
for: Piano, orchestra
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 401415
contains the unsigned solo part as well as the solo part arranged and annotated by Heinrich Schiff
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: Cello, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 180584
Arranged from the Adagio from Clarinet Concerto KV 622
for: Clarinet, piano
Score, part
Item no.: 761376
Concerto 5-6, Vol. III (Partitur)
arranged from Harpsichord Sonatas
for: Violinen (2), Streicher (1. Violine, 2. Violine, Viola, Cello, Kontrabass, Cembalo)
Score
Item no.: 485180
for: Trumpet (B-flat), piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 146870
Breitkopf Urtext
for: Violin, orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 582816
H.484.1 (Wq 22)
for: Flute, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 630315
for: Clarinet, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 261439
"The" piano concerto in Urtext – In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag
for: Piano, orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 289871
Erstveröffentlichung
for: Harpsichord, strings
Score
Item no.: 335591
for: Clarinet, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 796372
with marked and unmarked string parts
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 362802
Edition for Clarinet and Piano
Edition Peters Green Series
for: Clarinet (B-flat), piano
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 379411
Edition for Violin and Keyboard
for: Violin, piano
Piano reduction, solo part, Playback-CD
Item no.: 345316
"Triple Concerto"
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Violin, cello, 2 pianos
Piano reduction, 3 solo parts (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 603978
für Klarinette und Orchester
Ausgabe für Klarinette und Klavier
ars instrumentalis 028
for: Clarinet, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 109090
Haydn - Hummel - Neruda
for: Trumpet (B-flat), piano
Music score
Item no.: 746396
for: Trumpet (B-flat), piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 767217
Concerto flauto Amadeus 17
for: Treble recorder, strings, basso continuo
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 206641
for Violoncello and Orchestra
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Cello, orchestra
Book (critical commentary)
Item no.: 421857
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 666933
Hal Leonard Classical Play Along
for: Treble recorder
Music score, Playback-CD
Item no.: 809701
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Cello, orchestra
Book (critical commentary)
Item no.: 615166
Klassik
for: Flute, harp
Score
Item no.: 238343
The Masterworks Library
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 148048
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Piano, orchestra
Book (critical commentary)
Item no.: 649417
"Triple Concerto"
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Violin, cello, piano, orchestra
Book (critical commentary)
Item no.: 696499
Standard Violin Student Repertoire – Masterfully taught by Zakhar Bron
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part, DVD
Item no.: 562314
Arranged for solo piano
Piano Solo
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 316979
Brass Solo
for: Trumpet
Music score, online audio
Item no.: 583696
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