Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • An old term used to designate orchestral parts or instruments that were employed throughout a piece: opposed to ripieno parts, which were used only at intervals for fuller effect.
  • In music, agreeing; harmonious.
  • noun In music: A composition suitable for a concert.
  • noun A composition for two or more solo voices or instruments, with accompaniment for the organ or orchestra, so constructed that each of the solo voices or instruments comes into prominence in turn.
  • noun A composition for two or more solo instruments without orchestra.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Mus.) A concert for two or more principal instruments, with orchestral accompaniment. Also adjectively.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun music A concert for two or more principal instruments, with orchestral accompaniment.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Italian, originally present participle of concertare ("to form or perform a concert").

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Examples

  • The "Symphony No. 4" or "Symphonie concertante for Piano and Orchestra," depending on how it's billed, is one of the composer's final works and it has the sound of everybody from Carl Nielsen to Bartok in it, but the voice is definitely its own, and the wonderful performance made me want to go to Amoeba Records on a Szymanowski buying spree.

    Archive 2008-10-01 sfmike 2008

  • The "Symphony No. 4" or "Symphonie concertante for Piano and Orchestra," depending on how it's billed, is one of the composer's final works and it has the sound of everybody from Carl Nielsen to Bartok in it, but the voice is definitely its own, and the wonderful performance made me want to go to Amoeba Records on a Szymanowski buying spree.

    Emanuel Ax and the Art of Programming sfmike 2008

  • "Méthode concertante à plusieurs voix" (which treatise formed the basis of institution in Choron's school), "Méthode de plain chant",

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 3: Brownson-Clairvaux 1840-1916 1913

  • In 1815 he made a concert tour in France and Italy, during which he met Rossini and Paganini, playing at Venice a sinfonia concertante of his own composition, with the latter.

    Famous Violinists of To-day and Yesterday Lahee, Henry C 1899

  • The following year he returned to Paris, where he was made solo violinist to the First Consul, and it was at this period that he gained his greatest success, when he played with Kreutzer a duo concertante of the latter's composition.

    Famous Violinists of To-day and Yesterday Lahee, Henry C 1899

  • Your charming, gifted illustration of my little Quelle [spring] [Liszt's "Au bord d'une source" (Annees de Pelerinage), for three violins concertante (Schott, Mainz)] delights me anew.

    Letters Liszt, Franz 1893

  • With regard to the sinfonie concertante there appears to be a hitch, and I believe that some unseen mischief is at work.

    The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Mozart, Wolfgang A 1864

  • Schroter's concertos, some of my pianoforte sonatas, the sinfonie concertante, two quartets for the flute, and a concerto for harp and flute [Kochel, No. 298, 299].

    The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Mozart, Wolfgang A 1864

  • As, of course, I have no power to compel him to have it transcribed and performed, I said nothing; but I went to the concert on the two days when the sinfonie was to have been performed, when Ramm and Punto came to me in the greatest rage to ask me why my sinfonie concertante was not to be given.

    The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Mozart, Wolfgang A 1864

  • Le Gros purchased the two overtures from me and the sinfonie concertante, which he thinks exclusively his own; but this is not the case, for I have it still fresh in my head, and mean to write it out again as soon as I am at home.

    The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Mozart, Wolfgang A 1864

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