Concerto Grosso

The concerto grosso is a Baroque orchestral form that pits a small group of soloists (concertino) against a larger ensemble (ripieno or tutti). The concertino is typically two violins and continuo cello (the Corellian standard), and the ripieno is a string orchestra with continuo organ or harpsichord. Movements alternate between the two textures, with tutti material (often a recurring ritornello) bracketing solo episodes. Pieces usually fall into four or five movements without the rigid fast-slow-fast-slow plan that later codified into solo concertos. Tempos contrast sharply between movements; the harmonic language is robustly tonal but moves through more local key changes than later Baroque solo concertos.

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) codified the form in Rome in the late seventeenth century; his twelve Concerti Grossi, Op. 6 (published posthumously in 1714), are the foundational set. Handel adapted the form for London with his own twelve Concerti Grossi, Op. 6 (1739), bringing more dramatic contrast and operatic lyricism. J.S. Bach's six Brandenburg Concertos (1721) are technically concerti grossi too — the Third has a concertino of three violins, three violas and three cellos; the Fifth a concertino of harpsichord, flute and violin. By the mid-eighteenth century the rise of the solo concerto rendered the concerto grosso obsolete; revivals came only in the twentieth century (Stravinsky, Bloch, Schnittke).

Hear the constant push and pull between concertino and ripieno: small group answered by full ensemble, soloists peeking through the texture before the orchestra reasserts itself. The ritornello — the recurring tutti theme — keeps the structure audible even when the soloists wander far from home. Listen to Handel's Op. 6 Concerto No. 12, where the solo violin lines step forward over a quiet string accompaniment, then everyone slams back in together.

Corelli's Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6 No. 8 ('Christmas Concerto,' 1714), is the most-played individual entry. For the broader picture, Trevor Pinnock and The English Concert's complete Handel Op. 6 set is a strong period-instrument reference.

Corelli's Op. 6 was already several decades old at publication — these were pieces refined across his Roman career, not a fresh new project. Their influence was so direct that Handel's Op. 6 was published in the same plate-engraving format and similar dedication style to underline the lineage.