Britannica Sources used in this answer

How did Andrea Gabrieli use the term concerto in his 1587 collection?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

caricature of Antonio Vivaldi — concerto Caricature of Antonio Vivaldi, pen and ink on paper by Pier Leone Ghezzi, 1723; in the Codex Ottoboni, Vatican Library, Rome. The inscription below the drawing reads, “Il Prete rosso Compositore di Musica che fece L'opera a Capranica del 1723” (“The red priest, composer of music who made the opera at Capranica [College in Rome] of 1723”).

In the 1587 collection titled Concerti…a 6–16 voci (Concertos…in 6 to 16 Parts), the term "concerto" was used by Andrea Gabrieli and his nephew Giovanni Gabrieli to refer to the music itself, rather than to performers or a specific concert event.1

This collection, which was published posthumously for Andrea, served as the first formal musical title of its kind. It functioned as a broad descriptor for a variety of works, including:12

Motets (Latin choral compositions) and madrigals for six to 12 voices, arranged in one or two choruses, both with and without instruments.1
A piece for eight voices that imitated a battle.1
A ricercar per sonar for eight instruments.1

At this stage in the late 16th century, the title did not yet denote the specific instrumental structure associated with the later Baroque concerto. Instead, it reflected the evolving concertato style, characterized by the alternation and combination of different groups of voices and instruments to create novel antiphonal effects.31