Who said that there are no arguments in music? On the contrary, the never-ending “competition” is an inseparable part of music itself, be it between instruments, within the dynamics or through the phrasing. In a solo concerto, a virtuosic soloist duels with the accompanying orchestra, and all being well, in the end, everybody wins! Browse our sheet music and scores, and explore all concertos from all eras with Stretta today!
The word “Concerto” is derived from the Latin term “concertare”, which means to dispute, contend or fight, while the same word took on a completely opposite meaning in Italian, to harmonise. The term was initially used for sacred choral compositions with bass accompaniment. First the Italian baroque composers Alessandro Stradella, Giuseppe Torelli and Arcangelo Corelli began to compose in the instrumental form that we now call “Concerto Grosso”. It consists of a small group of solo instruments, a “Concertino”, and a larger accompanying orchestra, the “Ripieno”, with basso continuo.
In the high baroque period, the first solo instrumental concertos began to appear, with a classic three-movement structure, for one, but sometimes for two or more instruments. The master of this form was without a doubt Antonio Vivaldi, from whose pen, to this day, 447 concertos have survived, 226 of them for violin. Vivaldi’s best-known concerto is his violin concerto Four Seasons. Both Bach and Handel are also well known for their concertos.
The solo concerto was also very popular in the classical period. All great composers who were accomplished pianists or instrumentalists wrote solo concertos, often for themselves, but also for other contemporary virtuosos, here are a few great classical solo concertos:
In the romantic period, almost all major composers devoted themselves to solo or double concertos of all kinds. Here are a few romantic favourites:
for: Trumpet, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1552751
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116456
for: Cello solo, string orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 1530198
for: 2 pianos
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 561233
for: Clarinet, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 796372
1948/1956
for: Cello, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 634517
Klavierauszug nach der Originalvorlage
Viola-Stimme herausgegeben von William Primrose
for: Viola, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 197961
An additional brochure is included with todays most performed cadenzas , ” Eingänge ” and fermata embellishments by Eugène Ysaÿe , Leopold Auer, Sam Franko and Martin Wulfhorst
Bärenreiter Urtext
presviously 16,95 € (save 71 %)
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116559
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 160713
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Clarinet (A) [basset clarinet], orchestra
Piano reduction, 2 solo parts (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116514
Russische Musik der Moderne
for: Clarinet, string orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 581501
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Violin, piano
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 116561
Revidierte Fassung (1903-1904, rev. 1905)
for: Violin, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 178093
revised version 2014
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 395378
for two pianos
for: 2 pianos
Piano reduction
Item no.: 197736
for: Violin, string orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 615943
with a preface by Gidon Kremer
for: Violin
Music score
Item no.: 113613
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 197790
Concerto 5-6, Vol. III (Partitur)
arranged from Harpsichord Sonatas
for: Violinen (2), Streicher (1. Violine, 2. Violine, Viola, Cello, Kontrabass, Cembalo)
Score
Item no.: 485180
ars instrumentalis 020
for: Oboe, piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 109012
with marked and unmarked string parts
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 362802
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Piano, orchestra
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116479
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Piano, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 116569
for: Clarinet, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 358524
Carl Nielsen Collected Works
for: Flute, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 137688
on Themes of Arcangelo Corelli
for: Oboe, string orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 198278
for: Flute, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 1009369
Urtext based on the Brahms Complete Edition of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna
EB 6043 is printed in score form; two copies are needed for performance.
for: Piano, orchestra
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 284894
for: Trombone, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 323104
Für Orgel solo bearbeitet
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 602555
with marked and unmarked string parts
Breitkopf Urtext
for: Violin, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 141769
with Beethoven's original cadenzas
– Two copies needed for performance –
for: Piano, orchestra
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 401415
for trombone C (B)
Solo Series
for: Trombone, piano
Piano score, Solo parts
Item no.: 224421
for: Alto saxophone (E-flat), chamber orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 290310
H.484.1 (Wq 22)
for: Flute, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 630315
Alte Musik (Leuckartiana)
for: Oboe, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 144411
ars instrumentalis 016
for: Oboe, strings, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 180152
for: Trumpet (B-flat), piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 767217
for: String orchestra, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 397704
for: Cello solo, string orchestra
Score (spiral binding)
Item no.: 1009172
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 2 pianos, orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 373042
for Cello and Orchestra
for: Cello, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 433749
for: Bassoon, orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 664122
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 903247
William Walton Edition
for: Viola, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 634608
Arranged from the Adagio from Clarinet Concerto KV 622
for: Clarinet, piano
Score, part
Item no.: 761376
for alto saxophone and string orchestra
Piano score and solo part
for: Alto saxophone, string orchestra
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 168298
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Flute, orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 280225
Henle Urtext Editions
for: 2 violins, orchestra
Piano reduction, 2 solo parts (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 298883
Alte Musik (Leuckartiana)
for: Oboe, orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 314766