Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A composition for an orchestra and one or more solo instruments, typically in three movements.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. In music: A concert.
- n. Same as concertante.
- n. A composition for two or more solo instruments of the same or of a different kind: as, Bach's concerto for four pianos; Handel's concerti grossi for two violins and violoncello soli, with accompaniment for a stringed orchestra. Such concertos are called double, triple, etc., according to the number of solo instruments.
- n. A composition, usually in symphonic form, written for one principal instrument (occasionally for more than one), with accompaniment for a large or small orchestra, and intended to display the ability of a solo performer.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Mus.) A composition (usually in symphonic form with three movements) in which one instrument (or two or three) stands out in bold relief against the orchestra, or accompaniment, so as to display its qualities or the performer's skill.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a composition for orchestra and a soloist
Etymologies
- Italian, concert; see concert. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“The meaning of the term concerto is "to fight," he instructs, but "it's a positive fight.”
“The composer may be in his seventies, but never before has he used the word 'concerto' in the title of a work, and never before has he written for solo violin.”
“The river Exe at Bickleigh later formed the inspiration for a violin concerto, composed in 1951 as a gift for, and first performed by, his wife Pauline Ashley, a fellow student at Trinity College London, where (after national service in the RAF) he studied piano, theory and musical philosophy, and took lessons on the recorder from Edgar Hunt.”
“The last recorded evidence of the concerto comes from the sale catalogue of a Dutch bookseller in 1759, 13 years after Kerr's death.”
“A lost Vivaldi flute concerto is to be heard in full for the first time in 250 years after being rediscovered in the family archives of a Scottish nobleman who was killed at the battle of Culloden.”
“The new concerto is a delightful piece with an exquisite central slow movement," he said.”
“Thomas Adès will return with his violin concerto, Emmanuel Ax will perform in several programs including one with Yo-Yo Ma, and Christine Brewer will give a recital.”
“She stomped her way through Bruch's violin concerto last year to little payoff.”
“In between this and the inevitable wedding music, was the ubiquitous violin concerto with the even more ubiquitous Sarah Chang as soloist.”
“Because of the difficulty, the concerto is rarely heard.”
My preview of the Regina Symphony Orchestra concert featuring pianist Hung-Kuan Chen…
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘concerto’.
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Brand Theft Auto
A marque list for cars--models or companies who've used common words as their name.
explorer, navigator, frontier, mustang, quest, cougar, sidekick, legend, legacy, ranger, voyager, civic and 266 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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Play it again sam
public list. words related to the word 'piano'
pianist, piano fangblenny, pianoforte, baby grand, keys, pedal, a percussion with..., piano boxer, grand piano, chordophone, harpsichord, felt hammers and 33 more...
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big book gre
abase, abbess, abbey, abbot, abdicate, abdomen, abdominal, abduction, abed, aberration, abet, abeyance and 6691 more...
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zanshin's Words
gargoyle, ennui, paradigm, aardvark, verisimilitude, ghoti, tenacity, nescience, guillemet, squonk, maven, moxie and 210 more...
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harmony of the spheres
tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, subtonic, leading tone, progression, sonata, concerto, allegro and 247 more...
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Vocab++
Words as I learn them.
fetid, mezzanine, hiatus, austerity, subliminal, resplendent, implacable, impugn, debase, exiguous, cirque, holster and 2538 more...
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GRE List
anthem, ablution, apocrypha, augur, cardinal, cathedral, chant, chapel, cloister, conformist, cult, devout and 145 more...
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Spelling Bee list 2011
Abalone, ablution, absolution, aboriginally, abstemious, academician, acclamation, accommodation, acculturation, acetic, acetone, acme and 590 more...
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Beautiful Music
a cappella, accelerando, accompagnato, adagio, ad libitum, agitato, aleatory, alla breve, allegro, allemande, alto, andante and 548 more...
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MacBean's Words
verisimilitude, antediluvian, schadenfreude, eviscerate, exsanguinate, onomatopoeia, aesthetic, apocryphal, aubergine, byronic, brouhaha, bordello and 523 more...
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Types of Song
Different names for musical pieces.
cadenza, sonata, concerto, cavatina, waltz, mazurka, gavotte, kujawiak, minuet, canon, aria, divertissement and 7 more...
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well tempered clavier
baroque, a cappella, lyric, sonata, minuet, cantata, quadrille, requiem, timbre, trill, adagio, arpeggio and 25 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for concerto.
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