The Classical Concerto

Concerto

Let's recap what a Concerto is (it is most definitely a concept covered before you even entered the Higher music course!)

A Concerto is a piece of music that is centered around a solo instrument and a symphony orchestra. It's usually split into 3 movements. The first and third movements are normally pretty quick tempos like "Allegro". The 2nd movement is usually a contrast, and quite slow - makes sense, given the Classical era's passion for balance and symmetry.

The solo instrument and orchestra play back and forth to each other, and near the end of the first movement, the orchestra will stop playing and allow the soloist to "go nuts" and play the Cadenza.

We're going to look at a Concerto from the Classical era: Mozart's Violin Concerto no. 3.

As you watch it, read on to the next part of the post and follow the time stamps to get a feel of where you are.

1st Movement:

Usuall in a "Modified" Sonata Form; this means that you get essentially a "Double Exposition" - the Orchestra plays it first, then the soloist plays it, with some accompaniment from the orchestra. 

Can you hear the 1st and 2nd subject being exposed here? First by the orchestra in the "tutti" section, then the soloist with her pals in the orchestra backing her up? 

1. . The orchestral Exposition happens from the start until 1.25, at which point the exposition is then repeated by Miss Violinist
   Has anyone spotted that the ex-pope is the guest of honour in this audience yet? He looks knackered...
2. . The Recapitulation starts around 5.25 and she "tarts up" the exposition stuff a little, with a couple extra scale passages and one or two trills and acciaccaturas 
   -That's okay, she's the soloist. She gets to be fancy!
3. Cadenza
   . At 7.26 you will hear the orchestra pause and allow her to go into her Cadenza.
   The Cadenza, in a Classical Concerto, will ALWAYS end on a trill, on the 5th note of the scale (dominant chord - usually a dominant 7th) before the Orchestra tutti resumes and plays the Coda
   
   The Cadenza in the Classical era was improvised by the player, but had to "fit" with the piece, so it usually borrowed from the 1st subject and the player would use sequences and scales to "pad it out". Listen for this happening, and then at the trill on the dominant (10.11), listen for the orchestra re-entering ready for the Coda. [at 9.59 big Papa Benny looks bored out of his head].

Listen to these concerti from the Classical era, see if you can spot the Classical giveaway of Sonata form and using to close the cadenza - you'll notice that the Beethoven concerto screws around with the order of things slightly - does this surprise you? He was an angry man, and a bit of a rebel!