Solorepertoire

Solorepertoire refers to the body of music that can be performed by a single musician without the participation of other soloists. It comprises works originally written for a solo instrument or voice, as well as arrangements and transcriptions that enable a performer to present a program with minimal or no additional performers.

Scope and categories: Solorepertoire spans a wide range of instruments and voices, including keyboard (piano, organ), strings (violin, cello, viola), plucked strings (guitar, lute), winds (flute, clarinet), brass, and vocal recitals. It encompasses forms such as sonatas, suites, preludes, etudes, caprices, fantasies, and contemporary works written for solo performance, as well as transcriptions of orchestral or chamber music adapted for a single performer.

Historical development: The concept covers music from the Baroque era to the present, reflecting changing techniques, instrument design, and performance practice. While many landmark works have established a core solo repertoire, contemporary composers continue to contribute new pieces and experimental forms for solo performance.

Practical considerations: When building a recital program, performers consider factors such as technical difficulty, interpretive range, program balance, edition quality, and licensing. Archivists and scholars document solorepertoire by instrument, era, and edition to support performance planning, pedagogy, and musicological study.