concerto

[kuhn-cher-toh, kawn-cher-taw]

noun

Music.

plural

concertos, concerti 

1. a composition for one or more principal instruments, with orchestral accompaniment, now usually in symphonic form.

concerto

/ kənˈtʃɛətəʊ /

noun

1. a composition for an orchestra and one or more soloists. The classical concerto usually consisted of several movements, and often a cadenza See also sonata symphony

2. another word for ripieno

concerto

1. A piece of instrumental music written for one or more soloists and an orchestra.

Word History and Origins

Origin of concerto¹

1720–30; < Italian, derivative of concertare; concert (v.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of concerto¹

C18: from Italian: _concert

Example Sentences

And, at one point midpiece, it sounded as though one of the pianists was making a grand entrance to a Rachmaninoff concerto amid the beautiful roaring din.

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Before the concerto, Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” was performed as a “prayer for victory,” the U.S. having entered World War II.

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The left-hand concerto has dark mysteries hard to transmit over so many acres and video close-ups of two-armed pianists trying to keep the right hand out of the way can be disconcerting.

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He played a Mendelssohn concerto, a Beethoven concerto and the Brahms double concerto for violin and cello, his bow gliding effortlessly as it sliced through the madness.

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"There's so many strings in there that can wander out of tune, especially when you're playing big piano concertos," Terry explains.

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Related Words

• arrangement 
• drama 
• melody 
• music 
• piece 
• poetry 
• setup 
• symphony 
• theme 
• tune 
• writing