Baroque Concerto Grosso 1600-1750

All musical features are the same between Baroque solo concertos and Baroque concerto grosso’s in the Baroque period, apart from the number of soloists!

•The melodies in Baroque Concerto Grossos were normally quite long and flowing and use SEQUENCES and IMITATION, just like Baroque solo concertos would have.

•Sequence: a melodic idea that is immediately repeated at a different pitch.
•Imitation: the opening of a melody is copied in one or more other parts in the texture while the original melody continues.


Concerto Grosso Features

  • Popular in the Baroque period, but didn’t continue in to the Classical period
  • As you can see in the video, instead of one solo instrument, a concerto grosso has a small group of soloists – 2 or 3 instruments, forming a concertino section.
  • The concertino section play together and in contrast to the ripieno section (the rest of the orchestra – usually strings only and the basso continuo section)
  • Both the concertino  and the ripieno section can be seen as 2 contrasting groups performing in the same piece of music