Concerto Grosso is a work for

string orchestra A string orchestra is an orchestra consisting solely of a string section made up of the bowed strings used in Western Classical music. The instruments of such an orchestra are most often the following: the violin, which is divided into first ...

Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams, (; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...

. Originally composed in 1950 for a performance by the Rural Schools Music Association conducted by Sir Adrian Boult, the piece is unique in that the orchestra is split into three sections based on skill: Concertino (Advanced), Tutti (Intermediate), and Ad Lib (Novice) which only plays open strings. The piece is in five movements, and performances generally run for 14 minutes.

Movements

*I. Intrada: A dramatic theme that features heavy string writing *II. Burlesca Ostinata: A sprightly movement making brilliant use of perfect fifths to allow the "Ad Lib" players (who can only play open strings (tuned in intervals of perfect fifths) to play the theme. *III. Sarabande: A slow movement in triple time as indicated by the movement's name *IV. Scherzo: An energetic but lyrical short scherzo and a small coda *V. March and Reprise: A very lively march with much

syncopation In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm": a "place ...

, leading seamlessly into a full reprise of the first movement.

References

Concertos by Ralph Vaughan Williams Compositions for string orchestra 1950 compositions Vaughan Williams {{concerto-stub