concerto grosso

American  

[kuhn-cher-toh groh-soh, kawn-cher-taw graws-saw] / kənˈtʃɛr toʊ ˈgroʊ soʊ, kɔnˈtʃɛr tɔ ˈgrɔs sɔ /

noun

concerti grossi, plural concerto grossos plural

1. a musical form, common in the Baroque period, in which contrasting sections are played by full orchestra and by a small group of soloists.

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concerto grosso British  

/ ˈɡrɒsəʊ /

noun

1. a composition for an orchestra and a group of soloists, chiefly of the baroque period

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• concerti grossi
  plural
• concerto grossos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of concerto grosso

1715–25; < Italian: literally, big concert; see gross

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

concerto grosso

A hybrid of the Baroque concerto grosso and the Classical concerto, a symphonie concertante usually featured two or more soloists in a virtuosic dialogue that emulated a musical duel.

From New York Times ● Jul. 22, 2020

Childhood was a theme: Dai Fujikura’s “Minina,” a chamber version of his concerto grosso “Mina,” was inspired by the birth of his first child.

From New York Times ● Aug. 22, 2014

The range and complexity of Manguel's sympathies and readings is extensive and baroque; a concerto grosso.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 30, 2010

Ellington's compositions for jazz band and orchestra usually stay within a concerto grosso form that lets the band handle the jazz, while the orchestra plays its own fiddle.

From Time Magazine Archive

The pieces in which Corelli developed this light-and- shade technique came to be known by the name of the larger group, concerto grosso, and subsequently the generic term ‘concerto’.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall