concerto

A concerto pits a solo instrument against a full orchestra, creating a dialogue between the individual and the collective. The standard Classical concerto has three movements — fast, slow, fast — and typically includes a cadenza in the first movement where the soloist plays alone. The form evolved from the Baroque concerto grosso, where a small group of soloists alternated with the full ensemble. Mozart established the Classical piano concerto as a major form, and Romantic composers like Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff expanded it into virtuosic showpieces. The concerto remains one of the most popular and dramatic forms in classical music.