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How did modern composers reduce the gap between the concerto soloist and orchestra?
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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, âIl Prete rosso Compositore di Musica che fece L'opera a Capranica del 1723â (âThe red priest, composer of music who made the opera at Capranica [College in Rome] of 1723â).
In the modern era (from about 1915), composers significantly reduced the gap between the soloist and the orchestra by moving away from the Romantic tradition of "doing battle" between the two forces.1
Several key shifts facilitated this change:
- Abandonment of Massive Forces: Modern composers largely abandoned the use of the gigantic orchestra and the extreme opposition of the solo part that characterized the Romantic era.1
- Downgrading Virtuosity: By reducing the emphasis on virtuosity for its own sake, composers allowed the soloist to function more as an integrated member of the ensemble rather than a competing adversary.1
- Musical Language: The nature of modern musical language, including the breakdown of traditional tonality and the shift toward polyphonic textures, encouraged the soloist to blend with the orchestra.1
- Neo-Baroque Influence: Many composers returned to the Baroque ideal of interplay between melodic motives, often utilizing the concerto grosso principle of contrasting instrumental groups rather than relying on a single dominant soloist.1
Even in works that retained technical difficulty, the modern approach generally favored a collaborative relationship over the intense, competitive dialogue found in earlier concert favorites.1