Corelli holds a crucial position in Western music history as the earliest composer whose major works have continuously remained in the repertoire and in print since their first appearance.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Corelli's sonatas popularized the revolutionary idea that movements should modulate logically to closely related keys, a concept that influenced Northern European composers.
Composer Biography
Arcangelo Corelli, the composer, was born in Fusignano, Italy, on February 17, 1653, the youngest child of a wealthy landowner.
Composer Biography
Corelli settled in Rome around age twenty and rapidly progressed in Roman musical society, eventually serving Queen Christina of Sweden, a prominent patron.
Interpretation
This recording largely follows the tradition of using improvised or written-out ornamentation in Corelli's Opus 5, including florid versions of slow movements published in 1710.
Critical Reception
Corelli's Opus 5, the subject of this recording, was his most popular collection, reprinted over fifty times in the 18th century across ten European cities.
Compositional Technique
Corelli also popularized the use of biting dissonances, typically over a running bass, to propel the music forward, a technique that gave direction to his compositions.
