concerto

[ kuhn-cher-toh; Italian kawn-cher-taw ]

noun

, Music.

, plural con·cer·tos, con·cer·ti [k, uh, n-, cher, -tee].

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

Payare’s program, moreover, demonstrated both how the orchestra could come across in a traditional Beethoven concerto as well as in an orchestral showpiece.

From Los Angeles Times

The concerto is full of sonic imagery that travels above and below ground, down to the rivers in deep caverns and up in the skies to the environmentally threatened toh bird.

From Los Angeles Times

The group was the concerto soloist, of a kind, in “Natural History” by Michael Gordon, one of the Bang on a Can composers who infused Minimalism with rough, rebellious energy in the 1980s.

From New York Times

A rare performance of one of the piano’s most gargantuan concertos.

From New York Times

During a concerto performance, when not actually playing he waved his hands about as though conducting the piece, enraging music critics accustomed to a more solemn bearing from tuxedo-clad soloists.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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