Ripieno


The ripieno is the bulk of instrumental parts of a musical ensemble who do not play as soloists, especially in Baroque music. These are the players who would play in sections marked tutti, as opposed to soloist sections. It is most commonly used in reference to instrumental music, although it can also be used in choral music. An individual member of the ripieno is called a ripienista.
In the concerto grosso, it refers to the larger of the two ensembles as opposed to the group of soloists called the concertino. In a ripieno concerto, there is no dominant soloist, so it resembles an early symphony. It can also refer to the main body of orchestra in early orchestral music, although this use is today often disregarded.
In band music, the term is used similarly to designate the players not at the leading desk, especially the clarinet and cornet players in military bands.
The expression senza ripieni is an instruction to play without the ripienistas; this instruction is frequently found in works by George Frederick Handel.
The term can also be used to designate a pipe organ mixture stop.