A piece for a soloist or small group with an orchestra

What is ritornello form?

The orchestra's main theme keeps returning between solo sections

A showy passage for the soloist alone

What is a double exposition?

The orchestra plays the themes first, then the soloist plays them again

A concerto contrasts a soloist (or a small group) with an orchestra. Most have three movements: fast, slow, fast.
The concerto grosso sets a small group of soloists (the concertino) against the full string orchestra (the ripieno or tutti). Composers: Corelli, Handel, Bach.
The solo concerto has one soloist, often a violin. Vivaldi wrote hundreds, including The Four Seasons.
Baroque features: ritornello form (the orchestra's main theme keeps coming back between solo sections), basso continuo (harpsichord and cello playing the bass and chords), terraced dynamics (sudden changes between loud and soft) and sequences.

One soloist, often piano, violin or clarinet, with a bigger orchestra that now includes woodwind, horns and timpani. The harpsichord continuo disappears.
Melodies are balanced and elegant, in clear four-bar phrases, with simple harmony and Alberti bass.
The first movement is in sonata form with a double exposition: the orchestra plays the themes first, then the soloist plays them again.
Near the end of the first movement there is a cadenza: the orchestra stops and the soloist shows off alone. Composers: Mozart and Haydn.

The soloist is a star virtuoso, playing very fast, difficult music against a large orchestra with more brass and percussion.
The music is emotional and dramatic: wide range of dynamics, rubato (speeding up and slowing down for expression), chromatic harmony and long, singing melodies.
Cadenzas are often written out by the composer, and movements may run into each other. Composers: Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Grieg and Rachmaninov.
Across all three periods, listen for how the soloist and orchestra take turns, answer each other and play together.

Concerto: A piece for a soloist (or small group) and orchestra.
Concerto grosso: A Baroque concerto for a small group of soloists and orchestra.
Concertino: The small group of soloists in a concerto grosso.
Ripieno: The full orchestra in a concerto grosso (also called the tutti).
Ritornello: A main theme that keeps returning between solo sections.
Basso continuo: The harpsichord and cello part that plays the bass and chords in Baroque music.
Cadenza: A showy passage for the soloist alone.
Virtuoso: A performer with outstanding technical skill.
Rubato: Pushing and pulling the tempo for expression.

What is a concerto?: A piece for a soloist or small group with an orchestra: Soloist and orchestra contrast and combine.
What is the concertino in a concerto grosso?: The small group of soloists: The full orchestra is the ripieno.
Which composer wrote The Four Seasons?: Vivaldi: They are four Baroque violin concertos.
What is ritornello form?: The orchestra's main theme keeps returning between solo sections: Typical of Baroque concertos.
What plays the basso continuo in Baroque music?: Harpsichord and cello: It fills in the bass and the chords.
What is a cadenza?: A showy passage for the soloist alone: It comes near the end of the first movement.
What is a double exposition?: The orchestra plays the themes first, then the soloist plays them again: Classical concertos often start this way.
Which period has the largest orchestras and star virtuoso soloists?: Romantic: For example Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov.