Who said that there are no arguments in music? On the contrary, the never-ending “competition” is an inseparable part of music itself, be it between instruments, within the dynamics or through the phrasing. In a solo concerto, a virtuosic soloist duels with the accompanying orchestra, and all being well, in the end, everybody wins! Browse our sheet music and scores, and explore all concertos from all eras with Stretta today!
The word “Concerto” is derived from the Latin term “concertare”, which means to dispute, contend or fight, while the same word took on a completely opposite meaning in Italian, to harmonise. The term was initially used for sacred choral compositions with bass accompaniment. First the Italian baroque composers Alessandro Stradella, Giuseppe Torelli and Arcangelo Corelli began to compose in the instrumental form that we now call “Concerto Grosso”. It consists of a small group of solo instruments, a “Concertino”, and a larger accompanying orchestra, the “Ripieno”, with basso continuo.
In the high baroque period, the first solo instrumental concertos began to appear, with a classic three-movement structure, for one, but sometimes for two or more instruments. The master of this form was without a doubt Antonio Vivaldi, from whose pen, to this day, 447 concertos have survived, 226 of them for violin. Vivaldi’s best-known concerto is his violin concerto Four Seasons. Both Bach and Handel are also well known for their concertos.
The solo concerto was also very popular in the classical period. All great composers who were accomplished pianists or instrumentalists wrote solo concertos, often for themselves, but also for other contemporary virtuosos, here are a few great classical solo concertos:
In the romantic period, almost all major composers devoted themselves to solo or double concertos of all kinds. Here are a few romantic favourites:
with marked and unmarked string parts
Breitkopf Urtext
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 141769
for: Clarinet, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 261439
Erstveröffentlichung
for: Harpsichord, strings
Score
Item no.: 335591
"Triple Concerto"
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Violin, cello, 2 pianos
Piano reduction, 3 solo parts (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 603978
Edition for Violin and Keyboard
for: Violin, piano
Piano reduction, solo part, Playback-CD
Item no.: 345316
"The" piano concerto in Urtext – In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag
for: Piano, orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 289871
Edition for Clarinet and Piano
Edition Peters Green Series
for: Clarinet (B-flat), piano
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 379411
for: Clarinet, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 796372
für Klarinette und Orchester
Ausgabe für Klarinette und Klavier
ars instrumentalis 028
for: Clarinet, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 109090
with marked and unmarked string parts
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 362802
Urtextausgabe
for: Violin, orchestra
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 673064
Second Edition
Band 3
for: Piano, orchestra
Score (with critical report)
Item no.: 772270
for Violoncello and Orchestra
Royal College of Music London MS 402
Documenta musicologica II/36
for: Cello, orchestra
Score (facsimile hardcover)
Item no.: 384928
Zwölf Konzerte für Violine, Streicher und Basso continuo
Band II: VII-XII
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Violin, strings, basso continuo
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 762221
Urtext based on the new Complete Edition (G. Henle Verlag)
for: Piano, orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 663104
Concerto for percussion and orchestra
for: Percussion, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 682521
G-Dur – QV 5/174
Urtextausgabe
for: Flute, strings, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 287203
for: Organ, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 287195
Klavierkonzert (Urtextausgabe) (Urtext)
for: Piano, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 287121
Edition for Clarinet in Bb
DOWANI 3 Tempi Play Along
for: Clarinet, orchestra
Music score, Playback-CD
Item no.: 576449
für Oboe, Streicher und Cembalo
F. VII / Nr. 6
for: Oboe, strings, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 262844
Urtext based on the new Complete Edition (G. Henle Verlag)
for: Violin, cello, orchestra
Harmony parts (complete winds)
Item no.: 472608
ars instrumentalis 003
for: Oboe, piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 226160
for: Double bass, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 465054
for Bassoon, Strings, Basso Continuo (Piano reduction)
for: Bassoon, strings, basso continuo
Piano reduction, Solo part(s)
Item no.: 485783
for: Flute, string orchestra
Score (spiral binding)
Item no.: 601202
for: Clarinet, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 255563
pour saxophone alto et orchestre
for: Alto saxophone, orchestra
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 240220
for: Clarinet (B-flat), piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 292358
Breitkopf Urtext
for: Piano, orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 345799
for: Horn, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 560699
Ludwig Güttler Collection
for: Trumpet, strings
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 227492
Brácsaverseny
for: Viola, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 254895
Dowani 3 Tempi Play Along
for: Flute
Music score, CD
Item no.: 244122
Le opere di Giuseppe Tartini - Volume 3
for: Violin, strings, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 772567
für Altblockflöte und Klavier
for: Treble recorder, piano
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 413483
Edition for Flute and Piano
for: Flute, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part, Playback-CD
Item no.: 344110
Ausgabe für 2 Klaviere [mit CD: Orchester-Begleitung zur Solostimme]
MusicPartner - Klassik zum Mitspielen
Urtext
for: Piano, orchestra
Piano reduction, Playback-CD
Item no.: 335829
two copies needed for performance
for: 2 pianos
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 582839
DOWANI 3 Tempi Play Along
for: Cello
Music score, 2 Playback-CDs
Item no.: 290236
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Bassoon, piano
Piano reduction, Solo part(s)
Item no.: 116564
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 551949
Original cadenza no. 1 also in a version by Eugène Ysaÿe
with marked and unmarked string part
Henle Urtext Editions
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 657863
for: Piano
Piano score, online audio (playback)
Item no.: 135677
BÄRENREITER URTEXT
for: Piano, orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 578549
für zwei Trompeten
transponierte Fassung des Concerto C-Dur RV 537
for: 2 trumpets, piano
Piano score, Solo parts
Item no.: 165806
for: Horn, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 284660
Russische Musik der Moderne
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 108827
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