concerto grosso

American  

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

noun

plural

concerti grossi, concerto grossos

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.

---

concerto grosso British  

/ ˈɡrɒsəʊ /

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of concerto grosso

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

Example Sentences

Naturally more of a showcase for the players, though, was Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra, a beloved reimagining of the Baroque concerto grosso for the 20th century.

From New York Times

From there, variations surface with nods to Classical and Baroque forms: a dancerly minuet or rondo, a concerto grosso of angular strings, a wandering ricercare.

From New York Times

On the surface, the piece has the form of a Baroque concerto grosso, but the two forces seem to exist on separate planes, heightening the symphony’s solitary feel.

From New York Times

The symphony seemed recast into a concerto grosso for wind octet and orchestra, the expert Israeli winds gaining in expression by interacting with one another face-to-face without upsetting balances with the rest of the orchestra.

From Los Angeles Times

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 Literature