Krzysztof Penderecki's Concerto Grosso (2000) revisits concerto grosso, the Baroque practice of the orchestra being contrasted with a small group of instrumental soloists, the approach which gave rise to the solo instrumental concerto, arguably the most popular form of philharmonic music.
Penderecki's Concerto Grosso has three cellos as the soloist group (called 'concertino' in Baroque), though gives each of them room to show off individually. All parts, including the orchestral ones, are extremely varied in style, a characteristic which warrants the composition to be classified as a standard post-modernist work. Penderecki reaches out for things of past ages, uses quasi-quotations and applies a wide array of technical means, moving amongst all this with total ease which some would surely call bravado.
This said, Concerto Grosso has all the characteristics of a "repertoire work" and will certainly be liked by the audiences and the musicians. Connoisseurs of music literature will be pleased to be able to discover reminiscences of well-known compositions in Concerto's motifs and themes, while the average listener will be moved, even to the point of tears. Last but not least, both the three concertina cellists and the orchestra will find Concerto a most satisfying work of music.
Prepared by the Polish Music Information Center, Polish Composers' Union, December 2001.