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

In the early 1970s, Mr. Coleman began writing a concerto grosso called “Skies of America,”eventually recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1972.

From New York Times • Jun. 11, 2015

Roscoe Mitchell rearranged a trio version of his often-revisited “Nonaah” into an engaging concerto grosso, but again some of the playing sounded tentative.

From New York Times • Jul. 25, 2010

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

From The Guardian • Apr. 30, 2010

In Baroque music of Bach, Handel and Rameau, the pearls are the musical forms�such as the sonata, the concerto grosso or the da capo aria.

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