Concerto (Vocabulary: Art Terms)

CONCERTO (Vocabulary: Art Terms)

For the most part, a concerto (pronounced kun-CHAIR-toe) is a composition for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or, sometimes, a smaller musical ensemble. Typically it is in three movements with the tempos fast-slow-fast. The concerto actually originated as a form of vocal music, but has been understood as an instrumental piece since the late 17th or early 18th. Violin and piano have been popular instruments for concerti, but they have been written for nearly every instrument--for example, guitar, saxophone, trombone, harpsichord, accordion, harmonica, voices, and multiple instruments or vocal soloists. There have even been concerti for bowls of water, a florist, and a tap dancer!

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)