Concerti grossi

The concerto grosso (Italian for big concerto, plural concerti grossi) is a form of baroque music in which the musical material is passed between a small group of soloists (the concertino) and full orchestra (the ripieno or concerto grosso). This is in contrast to the solo concerto which features a single solo instrument with the melody line, accompanied by the orchestra. The form developed in the late seventeenth century and culminated with Arcangelo Corelli who was the first major composer to use the term concerto grosso for a collection of twelve of his compositions.