There have always been differing views on the relationship, conflict or co‐operation, between the soloist and the orchestra in concertos, and some of those opinions are discussed in the present study. It traces the development of the form from its beginnings about the beginning of the seventeenth century in Italy, and when the San Petronio orchestra in Bologna was disbanded for six years from 1695 in order to finance the repairs to the basilica's roof, many of its players spent time in the numerous German courts and cities, and introduced the form there; Torelli's Opus 6 concertos were published in Germany. From there the concerto rapidly spread by publication and manuscript copying to other parts of Europe, and the most celebrated composers (Torelli, Corelli and Vivaldi especially) were hugely influential in Germany, England and France where Bach, Handel, Telemann and Leclair greatly expanded the repertory.
In the eighteenth century technical developments encouraged composers to write more for the keyboard, especially towards the end of the century the fortepiano, although the violin was still very popular. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, with its elaborate solo part, is an early example of virtuoso harpsichord writing, and the section on Mozart's piano concertos in relation to his audience in Vienna in the 1780s is particularly well worth close study. Interestingly, by the end of the century more keyboard concertos were played by women, but by Beethoven's time there were more men, particularly in the more demanding works that were at the time thought to be beyond the capabilities of women. The section on the virtuoso performer quotes contemporary and later judgements – not all complimentary – but Paganini's playing was always admired.
Much of this companion is devoted to eighteenth and nineteenth century works, especially performance practice and their relation to society, but we have essays on nineteenth century piano concertos and those for strings and winds and on the twentieth century works, with a final contribution on the concerto in the age of recording. The text has a few musical examples, a chronology, notes and a good bibliography for each chapter and an index, mostly of names.
