As I understand the *concerto for orchestra* as a orchestral form can
somohow be related back to Bach and his Brandenburg concertos or to the
Italian Concerti Grossi by Corelli or Albinoni.  Thus one say the same with
about the symphony.  In the 20th century, though the concerto for orchestra
appeared (again?) as a kind of counterpart to the symphony.  Thus who
started this? Who wrote the first concerto for orchestra? The earliest
I have in my colection is by Hindemith (1925), I think.  Then there is the
first (of eight) by Petrassi (1932).  The famous one by Bartok came even a
bit later (1943).  Was Hindemith the first?

Achim Breiling