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What concertos or pieces for solo instrument and orchestra have the soloist enter briefly for a few measures towards or at the very beginning which is followed by normal orchestral introduction? Naturally, the soloist enters again where it traditionally should.
Steltz should get one particular piece that I have in mind.

Two Beethoven piano concertos come to mind immediately:
The fourth has a contemplative introduction by the piano before the orchestra takes that thought and uses it to develop the main theme.
The fifth, after an orchestral chord, has the piano doing a mini cadenza punctuated by more orchestral chords. This segues into the main theme on the violins.

After the soloist finishes, both have the orchestra go into a normal concerto exposition.

First, I think you are specifically talking about concertos that use the standard Sonata-Allegro form for the first movement? i.e. Classical or early Romantic?

Are you thinking of Spohr's Concerto no.1? The orchestra has a small introduction of 14 bars, which is an Adagio version of the main theme, then the Allegro section has the main theme playing for only 8 bars before the clarinet repeats it.

[Edit] The Spohr doesn't drop out again, only to come in later. Perhaps you're talking about Crusell's op.11 in Bb?

In Spohr 1, the clarinet does not play at or near the very beginning. It pretty much has a normal orchestral introduction other than having an Adagio part.
I was actually thinking of Spohr's Concerto No. 2 in E-flat.

I had three that came to my mind when I come up with this question; Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 4 and 5 and Spohr Clarinet Concerto No. 2. Please feel free to add more.

steltz wrote:Perhaps you're talking about Crusell's op.11 in Bb?

That's one I didn't think about.

Mozart Pf. Con. 9 fits your requirements perfectly.
--Sixtus

http://imslp.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No ... Amadeus%29

One of the concertos for piccolo by Vivaldi (in C major, I believe) has the soloist play by him/herself near the end of the opening and closing ritornelli.

Baroque concerti don't fit the mold that the OP is asking for. You need to get to about 1740 before they start to.

Elgar Cello and Brahms Double sort of fit this.