Concerto means: a large-scale instrumental piece played by a soloist (playing violin, piano, etc.) and an orchestra, and generally consists of three movements.

The word concerto (concerto) comes from the Latin words conserere (participation, interweaving) and certamen (competition). The original meaning is to compete together. Concerto means two elements that compete and collaborate.

The concerto (concerto) first appeared as a vocal genre. In the 16th century, it referred to a vocal piece with instrumental accompaniment in Italy. Starting from the second half of the seventeenth century, it refers to an instrumental suite in which one or several solo instruments compete with an orchestra.

In the Baroque period, several solo instruments formed a group to compete with the orchestra, which was called a concerto grosso. Formed during the period of classical music, a concerto composed of a violin, piano, cello and other instruments competing with an orchestra is called a "solo concerto". Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and many composers of the Romantic school composed a large number of solo concertos.

There are also two complex concertos (or double concertos) with the same or different instruments playing with the orchestra, three triple concertos with the same or different instruments playing with the orchestra, string quartet, woodwind quartet, Concerto for Quintet (composed in 1969 by Astor Pantaleon Piazzolla).

A single-movement minor concerto, a controlled concerto grosso where the orchestra competes with the orchestra, etc. Controlled concertos are often composed of three-movement suites: the first movement is allegro in sonata form, the second movement is adagio, and the third movement is allegro.