What is a concerto grosso?

[tomato]

We often hear concerto grosso defined as a concerto for two or more instruments.

Yet Bach and Vivaldi both composed concerti for two or more instruments, and neither of them ever used the term. Note that both composers always wrote their concertos in three movements--fast-slow-fast.

Handel and Corelli both used the term, and they both wrote concerti in many short movements.

Shouldn't the multiplicity and brevity of the movements be added to the definition?

 

[Krummhorn]

concerto grosso
Italian for 'big concerto', a form of baroque music which features contrasting musical lines between a small group of players (concertino) and the remainder of the ensemble (ripieno).

See this Wikipedia Link for more information.

 

[Rod Corkin]

I think Handel's Op3 and Op6 concerti grossi are the pinnacle of this genre. I recommend Minkowski's recording of Op3 and Hogwood's of Op6. It doesn't get any better than his.