concerto means A piece of music for one or more solo instruments and orchestra. It carries an Arena rating of 1308, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, concerto ranks #2,317 of 14,444 for Most Exacting Words, #2,382 of 14,414 for Most Elegant Words, #6,241 of 14,361 for Most Ingenious Words, #7,100 of 14,440 for Most Satisfying to Say.
concerto is pronounced /kənˈt͡ʃɛɹtoʊ/.
Why “concerto” is a great word
A composition for one or more solo instruments set in dialogue with an orchestra, from the Italian concerto, a deverbal noun from concertare ("to harmonize, arrange, agree"), itself from the Latin concertare ("to contend, dispute"). Unlike the intimate, private conversation of a sonata, or the collective, democratic voice of a symphony, the concerto stages a public negotiation between the individual and the multitude. It is the crystalline arc of a violin’s line against the velvet swell of strings, the percussive insistence of a piano amidst a hushed woodwind choir, and the brilliant, vulnerable flight of a single voice over the deep, structured ground of the world—a formal argument for the beauty of standing apart, yet being inextricably bound.
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian concerto, deverbal from concertare. Doublet of concert.
noun
- A piece of music for one or more solo instruments and orchestra.“And the cello concerto was strikingly different on Sunday: at Weill, the ensemble included two violinists and one violist, cellist, bassist and lutenist, but on Sunday four more violinists, a second violist and a harpsichordist were added to give the ripieno sections of the fast movements a heftier punch than the smaller group delivered.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- concertante 91% match — A concert for two or more solo instrumentalists, with orchestral accompaniment. vs concerto →
- concert 87% match — To plan together; to settle or adjust by conference, agreement, or consultation. vs concerto →
- concertmaster 85% match — The first violin in a symphony orchestra, which normally plays violin solos. vs concerto →
- orchestra 84% match — A large group of musicians who play together on various instruments, usually including some from strings, woodwind, brass and/or percussion; the instruments played by such a group. vs concerto →
- cantata 84% match — A vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement, typical of 17th and 18th century Italian music. vs concerto →
- sinfonietta 83% match — A small-scale symphony (either in length or size of orchestra needed). vs concerto →
- counterpoint 82% match — A melody added to an existing one, especially one added to provide harmony whilst each retains its simultaneous identity; a composition consisting of such contrapuntal melodies. vs concerto →
- notturno 82% match — A nocturne. vs concerto →