Ritornello

Ritornello is a musical form and technique most closely associated with the Baroque era, characterized by the repeated return of a principal instrumental passage, typically played by the full ensemble (the tutti), interspersed with contrasting episodes performed by soloists or smaller groups. The term comes from the Italian ritornello, a diminutive of ritorno, meaning “little return.” In many instrumental works, especially concertos, the opening ritornello establishes melodic material that recurs throughout the movement, providing unity while the accompanying episodes showcase virtuosic detail.

In practice, a complete ritornello movement usually begins with a substantial return of the main theme, then yields to a series of episodes featuring the soloist or concertino. These episodes modulate through different keys, while the ritornello returns in varied forms and keys, often concluding in the home key. The alternation creates balance between the broad, song-like material of the ritornello and the dramatic novelty of the episodes. The form is flexible, and composers often altered the length and order of ritornello and episode sections to suit musical rhetoric.

Historically, ritornello flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries, especially in concerto grosso and later in solo concertos. Corelli helped popularize the pattern, and Antonio Vivaldi extended it in his numerous violin concertos, including works in The Four Seasons. J.S. Bach employed ritornello structures in the Brandenburg Concertos and other concertos, while the concept also appears in aria da capo contexts as instrumental refrains. The term remains a key analytic concept for understanding Baroque form and its emphasis on return and contrast.