Concerto through time

• Accompaniment


  Musical part that supports or provides background for other musical parts eg. The soloists. In Concerto Grosso, it was provided by the Ripeno group and in Classical and Romantic, by the orchestra
• Articulation


  The direction or performance technique which affects the continuity on a single note or between multiple notes eg. Legato, Staccato, Tongued, Pizzicato etc.
• Audience


  The listeners/spectators at a concert. Baroque = small and increased in size throughout time as concerto was more developed.
• Backing


  Musical accompaniment for a soloist.
• Balanced Phrases


  A feature of Classical Concerto where musical phrases were written in regular 4 or 8 bars often in question and answer.
• Cadenza


  Solo section at the end of the first movement allowing the soloist to show off their technical skill and virtuosity.
• Coda


  Final section of a movement in concerto, often following the cadenza, where the soloist and orchestra play to the end of the movement
• Commission


  Hiring and payment for creation of the concerto, sometimes on the behalf of another.
• Concertino


  Meaning "Little Ensemble" a small group of solo instruments.
• Concerto


  A large-scale instrumental composition for a soloist/concertino accompanied by an orchestra where the soloists are the key performers
• Concerto Grosso


  An instrumental form popular in Baroque period consisting of two groups of performers eg. Concertino and Ripeno , pitched against each other to provide musical contrast in 3 movements (fast,slow,fast)
• Basso Continuo


  Part of the accompaniment in Baroque which filled in the harmonies and texture, usually consisted of the Cello and Harpsichord. Used figured bass notation. Often played throughout even with the soloists.
• Dialogue


  A musical form of question and answer / musical conversation
• Dynamics


  Volume of the music. Terraced in Baroque, and a larger range was developed in classical with use of crescendos and diminuendos
• Episode


  Name given to contrasting sections within a movement of a concerto in either Ritornello or Rondo form
• Instrumentation


  A composers choice of instruments for use in their concerto including choice of solo instruments
• Lute


  Baroque period string instrument where strings are plucked with the fingers
• Melodic Decoration


  Addition of musical ornaments to the main melody line
• Melody


  The main musical line often performed by the soloists in a Concerto
• Melody & Accompaniment


  Type of homophonic texture popular in Classical concertos where melody is clearly heard and accompaniment acts as a harmonic backing
• Movement


  The name given to a section in a Concerto. They have 3 contrasted with mood and tempo.
• Ornaments


  Extra noted used to decorate a melody line eg. Trills, mordents, Appogiaturas, Acciaturas etc.
• Patronage


  Refers to the support the wealthy have provided to both composers and performers
• Ripieno


  Meaning "filling". A small group of instruments in Baroque concerto grosso which accompanies the concertino.
• Ritornello


  Menaing a little return. Used for the first and third fast movement in Baroque Concertos. Begins with tutti section and then contrasts with sections called episodes which features only the soloists and basso continuo
• Rondo


  Main theme is repeated with contrasting episodes (ABACADAE.... -returning A section)
• Solo Concerto


  An instrumental form consisting of a single solo instrument pitted against the weight of an accompanying orchestra.
• Solo(ist)


  Person/s performing on an instrument individually often playing virtuosic and technically demanding music.
• Sonata Form


  Has 3 parts - Exposition where themes were started , Development section where the themes were developed and the recapitulation followed by a coda
• String Section


  Section of the orchestra consisting of the 1st and 2nd violins , violas, cellos and double basses ( also later , Harps). It formed he backbone of Concerto Orchestras
• Tempo


  The speed of the music , normally contrasting in each movement
• Terraced Dynamics


  Feature of Baroque in which dynamics was either very loud or very soft
• Texture


  How thick or thin the music is. Eg. Polyphonic, Homophonic, Monophonic
• Timbre


  Each instruments unique tone colour or tone sound. The quality of a musical note, sound or tone.
• Tutti


  A section with the whole orchestra and soloists
• Venue


  Place or location where concertos are performed eg. Church, concert halls, opera houses etc.
• Virtuoso


  A person who excels in musical technique and extremely skilled in their instrument, capable of playing technically demanding pieces.