Concertante

As Printed on a Score

Printed in titles (Sinfonia concertante) and on staff labels (Violino concertante, Violoncello concertante) to mark instruments that take a solo role within an ensemble work. It applies to the whole work or the part it names.

How Composers Use It

Concertante writing gives instruments prominence without the full display of a concerto. The sinfonia concertante — Mozart’s for violin and viola, Haydn’s for violin, cello, oboe and bassoon — blends symphony and concerto. Use it when soloists emerge from the orchestra and sink back into it rather than standing apart throughout.

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