Where were Baroque vocal-instrumental concertos commonly performed?

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Baroque vocal-instrumental concertos were primarily performed in religious and courtly settings. The main social breeding ground for these works was the chapel, particularly the court chapel, which provided the necessary resources of musicians and instruments.1

Beyond the general chapel environment, these concertos were frequently performed in the following specific locations:

  • Church: The concerto was performed especially in the church, where it served as a significant part of sacred music.1
  • Monastery: The few-voiced type of vocal-instrumental concerto was commonly performed in monasteries.1

These settings were central to the development of the genre, with Italian and German chapels serving as the primary centers for the early-Baroque vocal-instrumental concerto. While the later, purely instrumental concerto grosso shifted its focus toward courtly entertainments, state banquets, and assemblies of amateurs, the vocal-instrumental concerto remained deeply rooted in its ecclesiastical and chapel-based origins.12