Double Concerto
tagStarted late 17th centuryPeak c. 1710–presentLast big hit still active
Double concerto features two soloists in front of orchestra, creating a three-way drama: soloist versus orchestra, soloist versus soloist, and soloists in alliance. The sound depends heavily on pairing—two violins, violin and cello, flute and harp, two pianos, two cellos—and on the way composers exploit contrast, imitation, duet writing, and blended cadenzas.
History
Baroque repertory offered many two-soloist concertos, with Bach’s double violin concerto becoming the canonical example. Later composers used the form more selectively: Mozart’s flute-and-harp pairing, Brahms’s violin-and-cello double concerto, Poulenc’s witty two-piano clash, and modern works by Glass and others kept the format alive.
Defining artists
Essential listening
- Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043 — Hilary Hahn, Julia Fischer, and Academy of St Martin in the FieldsSpotifyYouTube
- Concerto for Two Cellos in G minor, RV 531 — Sol Gabetta, Giovanni Sollima, and Cappella GabettaSpotifyYouTube
- Concerto for Flute and Harp in C major, K. 299 — James Galway, Marisa Robles, and English Chamber OrchestraSpotifyYouTube
- Double Concerto in A minor, Op. 102 — Anne-Sophie Mutter, Yo-Yo Ma, and Chicago Symphony OrchestraSpotifyYouTube
- Concerto for Two Pianos in D minor — Martha Argerich, Nelson Freire, and Rotterdam PhilharmonicSpotifyYouTube
- Double Concerto for Violin and Cello — Gidon Kremer, Yo-Yo Ma, and Vienna PhilharmonicSpotifyYouTube
Sources
- Britannica on concerto and concerto grosso, with modern extensions of the solo-concerto idea.