baroque concerto grosso

• Baroque Concerto Grosso


  An instrumental form involving two groups of performers: the CONCERTINO (or Concertante) featuring a small group of soloists accompanied by an orchestral accompaniment called the RIPIENO
• Baroque Concerto Grosso period

  1600-1750
• Baroque Concerto Grosso

  • All have a continuo part – an accompaniment which "fills in the harmonies and texture" played by the harpsichord or organ (playing CHORDAL HARMONY from FIGURED BASS NOTATION) with the cello or bassoon doubling the Bass Line
  • modulations tended to go to the Dominant key or to the Relative minor of the original key
  • Tonality was mainly diatonic and in either clear major or minor tonalities
• Baroque Concerto Grosso form

  1. THREE MOVEMENTS – contrasted by TEMPO and a single mood or style within each movement

  2. Movements in RITORNELLO FORM began with a TUTTI section which featured a THEME

  3. Between appearances of this Ritornello Theme came EPISODES (contrasting sections)

  4. Sometimes feature a short CADENZA section towards the end of the first movement (unaccompanied)
• Baroque Concerto Grosso movements

  • 1st Movement: Ritornello or a Fugue, Brisk and purposeful
  • 2nd Movement: Da Capo Aria or Ternary Form, Slow and song-like often dotted rhythms
  • 3rd Movement: Ritornello or a Fugue, Fast and Cheerful
• Baroque Concerto Grosso


  • Rhythm, Tempo & Metre: Contrasted in TEMPO – Fast-Slow-Fast – with a consistent tempo within each movement, Dotted Rhythms were often a feature of the slower/second movements
  • Texture: Mainly POLYPHONIC or CONTRAPUNTAL textures – complex and interweaving of parts, though some HOMOPHONIC MELODY & ACCOMPANIMENT sections for musical contrast
  • Dynamics: TERRACED DYNAMICS – clear dynamic contrasts achieved by the whole orchestra changing the volume suddenly (rather than Crescendos or Diminuendos)
  • Melody: Melodies are decorated and embellished with ORNAMENTS (often by performers) e.g. trills, turns, mordents and grace notes such as acciaccaturas, which make melodies sound "busy", Melodies often long and flowing and use SEQUENCES and IMITATION
• Baroque Concerto Grosso soloists

  • The Baroque Concerto Grosso is a work for two or more soloists, The soloists (CONCERTINO –meaning "little ensemble") were the "stars of the show" and performed demanding and technically difficult parts, The soloists were always "in the spotlight" but sometimes performed with the accompanying orchestra in TUTTI sections
• Venue


  Baroque Concerto Grossos were performed either in churches, opera houses or small salons (rooms) or courts of wealthy individuals
• Baroque Concerto Grosso composers

  • J. S. Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Corelli
• Baroque Concerto Grosso instrumentation

  The orchestra used for a Baroque Concerto Grosso was split into two sections: the RIPIENO (the main orchestra who provided the accompaniment and less technically-demanding parts) and the CONCERTINO (or Concertante) who were the Soloists/Solo Section, Instruments used in the CONCERTINO: Violin, Cello, Recorder, Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Trumpet and Lute, The BAROQUE ORCHESTRA typically numbered between 10-30 players with the main section being the STRINGS, a small WOODWIND section, a BRASS section and TIMPANI in the PERCUSSION SECTION, The CONTINUO player led and directed the Baroque Orchestra from the Harpsichord (no conductor)