What is a Concerto?

↓ ↓ LINKS TO INDIVIDUAL SECTIONS ↓ ↓

1 - The Early Days: 0:23
2 - The Mid-Baroque: 6:21
2.5 - Terminology: 10:55
3 - Vivaldi and Ritornello Form: 11:19
4 - The Classical Ideal: 16:46
5 - Beethoven Blows it Up: 35:44
6 - The Heroic Soloist: 37:18
7 - What Happened?: 49:04

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Classical Nerd is a weekly video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.

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Music:

- Thomas Little: Snowfall [original upload: QTuMYQH0pWo]
- Giovanni Gabrieli: In Ecclesiis, performed by the Arp Schnitger Ensemble, Oltremontano, and the Gesualdo Consort [original upload: u3U47JuKxnw]
- Heinrich Schütz: Saul, Saul, Was Verfolgst du Mich, SWV 415, performed by the Bach-Kantorei Appenzeller Mittelland conducted by Wilfried Schnetzler [original upload: lZvrVPVhG9w]
- John Cage: Concerto for Prepared Piano and Chamber Orchestra, performed by John Tilbury and the BBC Scottish Orchestra [original upload: wGsGPF1QPP8]

Footage:
- Ferruccio Busoni: Piano Concerto in C Major, performed by Marc-André Hamelin and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mark Elder [original upload: ohPzurDZzZ4]
- Francis Schwartz: Concerto for Solo Conductor, performed by Vicky Shin [original upload: LtgbrLfN1Qc]

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Contact Information:

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All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information.

[ClassicalNerd]

Despite this being one of the longest videos to date, trying to cover the entire history of the concerto without cutting a few interesting corners/side notes was bound to happen. As with any huge topic, my goal was to deliver the appropriate context, so that any concerto that a viewer may listen to in the future has some manner of historical/formal contextualization.

Also, *I have no control over the placement of advertisements in this video* because the first movement of the Liszt concerto was falsely tagged as being under copyright, despite the recording I featured being in the public domain. I've disputed the claim.

[adrianwright]

Can't resist repeating Stravinsky's supposed quote:
"Vivaldi, the guy that composed the same concerto 500 times"

[danielb]

Just discovered this channel and i found it fantastic!

[mysas]

Whaaat? A channel called "Classical Nerd" with one hour videos? So exited to bingewatch all of it. This is exactly my kind of "Blockbuster"

[Fiik-guitarist]

Im about to finish my jazz conservatory exams at Prague I saw literally all your videos about composers like 5 times each. No doubt you're channel is absolutely best on YouTube for preparation to history of music test

[pjbailey]

As a flutist, I am very fond of Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp. Often though my favorite piece is the one I am currently listening to!

[daviddichmann]

this channel is a goldmine and extremely binge-worthy (I’ve literally watched these videos for 4 straight hours just today) !! keep up the good work.

[maksimliakh]

Moritz Moszkowskis E Major concerto is a genius piece of art! A lot of people who get to know it, start loving it!

[wyattwahlgren]

I haven't listened to many concertos, but you said I should comment my favorite concerto. I've got to say that Dvorak's cello concerto is phenomenal. Anyone who reads this should listen to it now.

[classicalmusic]

Busoni wasn't the only composer to write a piano concerto featuring a choir. The 6th piano concerto by Henri Herz features a choral finale as well, but unfortunately it seems like the orchestral parts are lost. And two years before Beethoven started writing his 9th symphony, Daniel Steibelt wrote his 8th piano concerto which also features a choral finale, but unfortunately that piece seems to be lost in its entirety.

[shayanmardanbeigi]

My favorite concerto of all time would probably be between Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and Beethoven’s 5th Piano Concerto, very hard to pick personally, I also adore Chopin Piano Concerto No 1, Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No 2, Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, and basically Mozart’s 20-27th Piano Concerti

[kkiller]

It is hard to have a single favorite concerto, but Mendelssohn violin concerto is pretty good.

[srothbardt]

Once again, thank you very much for this! Excellent.

[TheHive]

Very glad to have found your channel! I really enjoy quite a few types of music, but common practice (or classical) is my real passion, and there's always so much more that can be explored, absorbed and learned.
Unfortunately, it's also the music that I have no friends to discuss with. I have progressive rock friends, black metal friends, jazz friends... But no classical friends. It is a broad spectrum that requires attentive listening and a desire to analyze and understand the composition and performance, and it's hard to find people that genuinely enjoy the intellectual pursuit of music for knowledge's sake.

So channels like yours can go a long way towards filling that gap, giving me some new insights and different perspectives to consider. Thank you for all the work you do, helping people everywhere get a deeper understanding of this fascinating, timeless lexicon.

[LusineYsoprano]

So much of information in one video! Thank you so much! I finally understood the changes over time.

[andrewlord]

Favourite Concerto - Webern Concerto for 9 Instruments. That last movement dances!

[jag]

Hey. I love the video, but can I suggest something? Do you think you can bring the camera closer? Make it so that we only see the head and shoulders? Leave some space to the right for visual aids and maybe a nice bust on top of some books.

The reason I'm suggesting this is because with the camera this far back, we get to see your posture. And unless one has been trained in speaking posture, it just feels kinda awkward seeing someone change posture and not know where to move their hands. It also makes it so that whenever you have a cut in your footage, you don't suddenly jump left and right in the shot (or at least makes it less obvious).

That's just a suggestion and feel free to ignore it if you wish. Love your videos and keep doing what you do!

[okbss]

Gotta say i really love Bach's fifth brandenburg.. great video!!

[willyevans]

You have a wonderful channel here. Thank you for taking the time to do these videos.

[samuelmincarelli]

Thank you, I found this video quite helpful. My favorite concerto varies from time to time. I enjoy Sibelius’s violin concerto, as well as Khacaturian’s violin and piano concerto. I am also partial to Bartok’s second violin concerto and concerto for orchestra. Recently, I have accumulated a fondness for Shostakovich’s first violin concerto, and both Khrennikov violin concerto. I do enjoy Berg’s violin concerto as you mentioned.