A partita (also spelled partie, partia, parthia, or parthie) is similar to the dance suites from the Baroque Period. The word is often used as a synonym for suite and variation, with the addition of a prelude movement at the start of each partita. Originally, the term described a single-instrument piece of music from the 16th and 17th centuries.
An overture is a musical introduction without singing that was used in ballets, operas, and oratorios during the 17th century. In the early Romantic era, composers like Beethoven and Mendelssohn created overtures that stood alone as complete, programmatic works. These pieces were originally meant to be played at the beginning of a musical program.
A sinfonia concertante (pronounced [siɱfoˈniːa kontʃerˈtante]; also called symphonie concertante) is a type of orchestral music that usually has several parts, or movements. In this form, one or more solo instruments play against the full orchestra. It developed during the Classical period of Western music, which followed the Baroque era’s concerto grosso.
The concerto grosso (said [konˈtʃɛrto ˈɡrɔsso]; Italian for “big concert,” plural concerti grossi [konˈtʃɛrti ˈɡrɔssi]) is a type of music from the Baroque period. In this form, musical parts are played by a small group of soloists (called the concertino) and the full orchestra (called the ripieno, tutti, or concerto grosso). This differs from the solo concerto, which features one solo instrument playing the main melody, with the orchestra providing accompaniment.
A concerto ( / k ə n ˈ tʃ ɛər t oʊ / ; plural concertos or concerti from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typical three-movement structure, a slow movement (e.g., lento or adagio) preceded and followed by fast movements (e.g., presto or allegro), became a standard from the early 18th century. The concerto originated as a genre of vocal music in the late 16th century.
A symphony is a long musical piece in Western classical music, usually written for an orchestra. The word “symphony” has had different meanings since ancient times, but by the late 1700s, it came to mean a musical work with several separate parts or movements, often four. The first movement is usually written in sonata form.
The Te Deum is a Latin Christian hymn that people have traditionally believed was written before the year 500 AD. However, some evidence suggests it might have been created even earlier. It is a key part of the Ambrosian hymnal, a collection of hymns that spread throughout the Latin Church along with other religious practices from Milan between the 6th and 8th centuries.
The Requiem in D minor, K. 626, is a Requiem Mass written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791). Mozart began writing part of the Requiem in Vienna in late 1791, but he did not finish it before he died on December 5, 1791.
A song cycle (German: Liederkreis or Liederzyklus) is a group of complete songs meant to be performed one after another as a single unit. The songs may be performed by one person, a group of people, or sometimes a mix of solo songs and group songs. A song cycle can include as few as two songs or as many as 30 or more songs.
An art song is a type of Western music that uses one voice and piano accompaniment. It is usually part of the classical music tradition. The term “art song” can also describe a group of similar songs, such as the “art song repertoire.” An art song is often based on a poem or text and is meant to be performed in concerts or formal events like recitals.