Arcangelo Co‌relli

February 12, 1653 (age 59)

Fusignano, Imola, Italy

His first decided success was gained in Paris at the age of nineteen. To this he owed his European reputation. From Paris Corelli went to Germany. In 1681 he was in the service of the electoral prince of Bavaria; between 1680 and 1685 he spent a considerable time in the house of his friend Farinelli. In 1685 he was certainly in Rome, where he led the festival performances of music for Queen Christine of Sweden and was also a favourite of Cardinal Ottoboni. ‌ In 1689, when Alexander VIII ascended the papal throne, his nephew, Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni, appointed Corelli to conduct weekly concerts at his palace, where Corelli lived for the rest of his life. In 1708 he went once more to Rome, living in the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni. Even Sebastian Bach submitted to it. His works auspiciously inaugurate the period of late baroque music. Corelli's music was published in six opera, each opus containing 12 compositions: Opus 1 (1681), 2 (1685), 3 (1689), and 4 (1694) are trio sonatas; Opus 5 (1700), solo sonatas for violin and continuo; and Opus 6 (1714), concerti grossi for string orchestra. ‌ The most influential of Corelli's works was his Opus 5 for violin, containing the Folía variations. The trio sonatas of Opus 1 and 3 were intended for church performance (da chiesa) with figured bass for organ, and those of Opus 2 and 4 were chamber music (da camera) with harpsichord and/or archlute accompaniment. The church sonatas are generally abstract: slow-fast-slow-fast, with the first fast movement being fugal. A gigue was also occasionally used in a church sonata. The chamber sonatas begin with a prelude, followed usually by an allemande, a sarabande, and a gigue. Like the trio sonatas, the 12 solo sonatas are generally divided between church and chamber sonatas. Later in the century Roger North challenged the authenticity of these graces, but an equally reliable authority, Johann JoachimQuantz, did not. In this group is his famous Christmas Concerto (No. 8). Although these concerti grossi were not published until the year after his death, Georg Muffat reports that he heard concerti grossi by Corelli in 1682, which could give reason to believe that he, and not Giuseppe Torelli, was the originator of this form. Once again the opus comprises both church and chamber works. Concerti 1-8 are concerti da chiesa; 9-12 are concerti da camera. Although famous for the calmness and nobility of his music, Corelli is also known for the "Corelli clash, " a bold harmonic suspension. From the standpoint of performing technique his music is less advanced than that of his German contemporaries. ‌‌ But though tamer than the German works, his music when first brought to France was too difficult for the violinists there and was performed by the singers. This would seem to contradict the report by John Mainwaring (1760) that George Frederick Handel found Corelli's playing lacking in fire and demonstrated how he wished to have a passage played, whereupon Corelli said, "This music is the French style, of which I have no experience. " Nevertheless, Francesco Geminiani, a pupil of Corelli, reported that Corelli was influenced by Jean Baptiste Lully. Owing to the modern objective style of playing, Corelli's music sounds very calm today; however, he was noted for his passionate playing, and one observer said that Corelli was so moved that his "eyeballs rolled. " Because of the modern smoothly connected bow strokes, his music sounds organlike; however, North reports that Corelli tried to make his violin "speak"‌. ‌He was received in the highest circles of the aristocracy, and arranged and for a long time presided at the celebrated Monday concerts in the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni. Corelli died possessed of a sum of 120, 000 marks and a valuable collection of pictures, the only luxury in which he had indulged. He left both to his benefactor and friend, who, however, generously made over the money to'Corelli's relations.

Arcangelo Co‌relli Edit Profile

composer

Background

Arcangelo Corelli was born‌ on Feb‌ruary 17, 1653 in Fusignano‌, Italy.

Education

At the age of 13 he went to Bologna, where his main teacher was Leonardo Brugnol, a native of Venice. Corelli studied in Bologna until 1670 and then entered the famous Accademia Filarmonica. ‌

Career

His first decided success was gained in Paris at the age of nineteen. To this he owed his European reputation. From Paris Corelli went to Germany. In 1681 he was in the service of the electoral prince of Bavaria; between 1680 and 1685 he spent a considerable time in the house of his friend Farinelli. In 1685 he was certainly in Rome, where he led the festival performances of music for Queen Christine of Sweden and was also a favourite of Cardinal Ottoboni. ‌

In 1689, when Alexander VIII ascended the papal throne, his nephew, Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni, appointed Corelli to conduct weekly concerts at his palace, where Corelli lived for the rest of his life. In 1708 he went once more to Rome, living in the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni. Even Sebastian Bach submitted to it. His works auspiciously inaugurate the period of late baroque music.

Corelli's music was published in six opera, each opus containing 12 compositions: Opus 1 (1681), 2 (1685), 3 (1689), and 4 (1694) are trio sonatas; Opus 5 (1700), solo sonatas for violin and continuo; and Opus 6 (1714), concerti grossi for string orchestra. ‌ The most influential of Corelli's works was his Opus 5 for violin, containing the Folía variations.

The trio sonatas of Opus 1 and 3 were intended for church performance (da chiesa) with figured bass for organ, and those of Opus 2 and 4 were chamber music (da camera) with harpsichord and/or archlute accompaniment. The church sonatas are generally abstract: slow-fast-slow-fast, with the first fast movement being fugal. A gigue was also occasionally used in a church sonata.

The chamber sonatas begin with a prelude, followed usually by an allemande, a sarabande, and a gigue. Like the trio sonatas, the 12 solo sonatas are generally divided between church and chamber sonatas. Later in the century Roger North challenged the authenticity of these graces, but an equally reliable authority, Johann JoachimQuantz, did not. In this group is his famous Christmas Concerto (No. 8). Although these concerti grossi were not published until the year after his death, Georg Muffat reports that he heard concerti grossi by Corelli in 1682, which could give reason to believe that he, and not Giuseppe Torelli, was the originator of this form. Once again the opus comprises both church and chamber works. Concerti 1-8 are concerti da chiesa; 9-12 are concerti da camera. Although famous for the calmness and nobility of his music, Corelli is also known for the "Corelli clash, " a bold harmonic suspension. From the standpoint of performing technique his music is less advanced than that of his German contemporaries.

‌‌ But though tamer than the German works, his music when first brought to France was too difficult for the violinists there and was performed by the singers. This would seem to contradict the report by John Mainwaring (1760) that George Frederick Handel found Corelli's playing lacking in fire and demonstrated how he wished to have a passage played, whereupon Corelli said, "This music is the French style, of which I have no experience. " Nevertheless, Francesco Geminiani, a pupil of Corelli, reported that Corelli was influenced by Jean Baptiste Lully. Owing to the modern objective style of playing, Corelli's music sounds very calm today; however, he was noted for his passionate playing, and one observer said that Corelli was so moved that his "eyeballs rolled. " Because of the modern smoothly connected bow strokes, his music sounds organlike; however, North reports that Corelli tried to make his violin "speak"‌.

‌He was received in the highest circles of the aristocracy, and arranged and for a long time presided at the celebrated Monday concerts in the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni. Corelli died possessed of a sum of 120, 000 marks and a valuable collection of pictures, the only luxury in which he had indulged. He left both to his benefactor and friend, who, however, generously made over the money to'Corelli's relations.

Works

$Corelli: Sonata \$ Adagio and Gigue: Clarinet Adagio and Gigue: Clarinet

Corelli Album for the Piano - Score Corelli Album for the Piano - Score

The Best of Arcangelo Corelli (Concerti Grossi for String Orchestra or String Quartet): Cello The Best of Arcangelo Corelli (Concerti Grossi for String Orchestra or String Quartet): Cello

Corelli: Sonata in D minor, Op.5, No.8 - Cello Corelli: Sonata in D minor, Op.5, No.8 - Cello

Corelli Arcangelo 12 Sonatas Op. 5 Volume 2 Nos 7-12 for Violin and Piano by Jensen International Corelli Arcangelo 12 Sonatas Op. 5 Volume 2 Nos 7-12 for Violin and Piano by Jensen International

book
- The Best of Arcangelo Corelli (Concerti Grossi for String Orchestra or String Quartet): Cello
  (Paul Paradise has selected eight of Arcangelo Corelli's t...)
- Corelli Album for the Piano - Score
  (Printed sheet music to the work Corelli Album for the Pia...)
- Adagio and Gigue: Clarinet
  (Clarinet, Woodwinds - Grade 3Clarinet. Composed by Arcang...)
- Corelli Arcangelo 12 Sonatas Op. 5 Volume 2 Nos 7-12 for Violin and Piano by Jensen International
  (Corelli 12 Sonatas. Opus 5, for Violin & Piano (Jensen) V...)
- Corelli: Sonata "La Follia," Op. 5, No. 12 - Violin (International 2789)
- Corelli: Sonata in D minor, Op.5, No.8 - Cello

Views

Quotations: That the German violin school was at that time farther advanced than the Italian school might be assumed from the fact that when Corelli heard Nicolas Adam Strungk play he exclaimed, "I am called Arcangelo, but you one might justly call Archidiavolo. "

‌"Do you not hear it speak?" ‌(about violin)

Interests

Music & Bands

His master on the violin was Bassani.

The style of execution introduced by Corelli and preserved by his pupils, such as Geminiani, Locatelli, ahd many others, has been of vital importance for the development of violin-playing, but he employed only a limited portion of his instrument's compass, as may be seen by his writings, wherein the parts for the violin never proceed above D on the first string, the highest note in the third position; it is even said that he refused to play, as impossible, a passage which extended to A in altissimo in the overture to Handel's Trionfo del Tempo, and took serious offence when the composer played the note in evidence of its practicability.

Connections

Friend:: Farinelli

Main Photo