7 best classical concertos

Classical concertos are a significant genre in classical music known for their structure and the interplay between a solo instrument and an orchestra. Here's what you should know about classical concertos:

  1. Definition: A concerto is a musical composition that typically features a solo instrument (or a group of solo instruments) accompanied by an orchestra. The word "concerto" is derived from the Italian "concertare," which means to contend or compete, reflecting the dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra.

  2. Three-Movement Structure: Most classical concertos follow a three-movement structure:

    • Allegro: The first movement is typically fast-paced and serves as an exposition of the main themes. It often features virtuosic passages for the soloist.
    • Adagio or Andante: The second movement is slower and more lyrical, providing a contrast to the first movement. It allows the soloist to showcase their expressive capabilities.
    • Rondo or Allegro: The final movement is often in a rondo or sonata-allegro form and is characterized by its lively and energetic nature. It frequently includes a recurring theme.

  3. Solo Instrument: The choice of the solo instrument can vary widely, leading to different types of concertos. Some common solo instruments include the piano, violin, cello, flute, clarinet, and trumpet. Concertos can also feature more unconventional solo instruments, such as the harp or tuba.

  4. Prominent Composers: Many renowned composers have composed classical concertos. Some of the most famous concerto composers include:

    • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Known for his piano concertos, violin concertos, and horn concertos.
    • Ludwig van Beethoven: Composed piano concertos, violin concertos, and the famous "Emperor Concerto" for piano and orchestra.
    • Johann Sebastian Bach: Known for his keyboard concertos and the "Brandenburg Concertos," which feature various solo instruments.
    • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Renowned for his violin concerto and piano concerto.
    • Antonio Vivaldi: Known for his numerous violin concertos, particularly "The Four Seasons."

  5. Virtuosity: Concertos often include technically demanding passages for the soloist, allowing them to showcase their virtuosity and technical prowess.

  6. Orchestration: The orchestra's role in a concerto is to support and interact with the soloist. It provides the backdrop for the solo instrument, adding depth and texture to the music.

  7. Concerto Grosso: In addition to solo concertos, there is a subgenre known as the "concerto grosso," where a small group of solo instruments (the concertino) interacts with the full orchestra (the ripieno). Arcangelo Corelli's concerti grossi are notable examples.

  8. Concertos in the Romantic Era: In the Romantic era, composers like Johannes Brahms and Sergei Rachmaninoff expanded the concerto form, creating emotionally charged and expansive works. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 is a famous example.

Classical concertos have a rich history and continue to be an integral part of the classical music repertoire.They offer an opportunity for both composers and performers to display their creativity and artistry while engaging in a captivating musical dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra. These works are widely recorded and available on CDs, vinyl records, and digital formats, allowing audiences to enjoy the beauty and complexity of classical concertos.

Below you can find our editor's choice of the best classical concertos on the market
  

Bolling: Concerto for Classical Guitar & Jazz Piano / Romero

Capitol

Based on 23 reviews Check latest price

Product description

Bolling: Concerto for Classical Guitar & Jazz Piano / Romero

Tartini: Complete Violin Concertos

Dynamic

Based on 25 reviews Check latest price

Product description

The publishing of this complete edition of Giuseppe Tartinis Violin Concertos (with the addition of two concertos each for cello and flute) is both a triumph for Dynamic label, which in its 36 years of activity has built a considerable catalogue of violin music and an artistic and historical document of indisputable musicological importance for anyone wishing to have a philologically reliable testimony of this aspect of 18th c. Italian instrumental music, valuable, therefore, for more than the mere dimension of listening. To grasp the importance of this achievement we must first of all note that only a very small number of these concertos can be found in modern, easily available editions, few of which, incidentally, are truly valid from the point of view of textual accuracy and respect of Tartinis musical precepts. This project was started, almost twenty years ago by Dynamics founder Pietro Mosetti Casaretto who, in 1996, recorded and published the first three-CD box-set featuring the Concerti, Op. 1, performed by LArte dellArco, with Giovanni Guglielmo, Federico Guglielmo and Carlo Lazari as soloists, the same soloists who played in the 17th and last volume of the series published in 2013, evidence of this ensembles faithfulness to the project, and of their moral and artistic solidity, indispensable preconditions for any important musical achievement.

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 "Emperor" [LP]

Deutsche Grammophon

Based on 44 reviews Check latest price

Product description

Two of the most exciting recordings from "ABM": his benchmark Debussy Preludes (Book I), recorded in 1978, and his Beethoven 5th Piano Concerto, recorded with Wiener Philharmoniker and Carlo Maria Giulini in 1982.

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1 I n B Flat Minor, Op.23, TH.55 [LP]

Deutsche Grammophon

Based on 22 reviews Check latest price

Product description

Martha Argerich' celebrated live recording of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto with Claudio Abbado makes its way to a stand-alone single vinyl release for the first time, previously only available on this format within a boxed set. Recorded live December 1994, at the Philharmonie, Berlin Surpassing even those earlier and legendary performances. Argerich has never sounded on better terms with the piano, more virtuoso yet engagingly human." GRAMOPHONE

Vivaldi: Dresden Concerti, Vol. 1

NAXOS

Based on 15 reviews Check latest price

Product description

Menuhin; Lysy.

Bach, J.S.: Piano Concertos BWV 1060/1061/1063/1065 [LP]

Deutsche Grammophon

Based on 47 reviews Check latest price

Product description

It is evident in this recording is that the four friends above all else enjoyed themselves; they had prepared carefully the recording, and from the very first bar to the last, the orchestra too were inspired to contribute their full measure. This enjoyment is transmitted to the listener; this is the enjoyment Bach himself derived from his concertos - mature works full of dignity and understanding.

Sibelius: Violin Concerto,Op.47 / Serenades Nos. 1 & 2 / Humoresque

DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON, 4D, ROMANTICO,

Based on 76 reviews Check latest price

Product description

MUTTER / PREVIN / DRESDEN

The very first notes of this extraordinary performance show how thoughtfully Anne-Sophie Mutter has approached the work. Sibelius's marking for the solo violin is dolce ed espressivo, which for most violinists would mean "with vibrato." But Mutter plays senza vibrato and achieves a hauntingly expressive effect over the muted pianissimo oscillations of the orchestral violins. Happily, she sustains this high level of engagement with the score through the entire account, playing the taxing solo part with riveting intensity, making every note count, producing a gloriously rich and varied tone, and giving the listener a memorable musical experience in the process. The effect of all this on Andre Previn and the Staatskapelle Dresden, to paraphrase Mark Twain, appears to have been prompt and electric. They give a spectacular reading of the score, one notable for both its sonorous depth and its sense of atmosphere. --Ted Libbey

Latest Reviews

View all