symphonie concertante

symphonie concertante, in music of the Classical period (c. 1750–c. 1820), symphony employing two or more solo instruments. Though it is akin to the concerto grosso of the preceding Baroque era in its contrasting of a group of soloists with the full orchestra, it rather resembles the Classical solo concerto in musical form and is the ancestor of the double and triple concerti of the 19th century. The term seems to have originated in France, where the genre first took hold and was for some time preferred to the concerto. Examples include the Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra, K 364, by Mozart and one for oboe, violin, bassoon, cello, and orchestra by Joseph Haydn.

The term occasionally refers to a symphony utilizing the principles of contrast and melodic interplay between instrumental groups that characterizes the concerto grosso.