Corelli: Concerti Grossi, Sinfonia to Santa Beatrice d'Este

Featuring

Gottfried von der Goltz
Freiburger Barockorchester
Arcangelo Corelli

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Interpretation

The Freiburger Barockorchester, the ensemble on this recording, adds wind instruments and a large continuo to the strings, a practice Corelli himself used on occasion.

Composer Biography

Arcangelo Corelli, born in 1653, spent the last 38 years of his life in Rome, where he built a remarkable career as a violinist and composer.

Interpretation

The parts for the added wind instruments in this recording were reconstructed by violinist and conductor Gottfried von der Goltz, as Corelli's original parts for these instruments have not survived.

Compositional Technique

Corelli's Opus 6 concertos are considered perfect models of the then-young concerto grosso genre, which features a small group of soloists (concertino) against a larger orchestral group (ripieno).

Composition History

Corelli's complete published works comprise only six opus numbers, each containing twelve pieces, totaling 72 compositions.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Corelli was a perfectionist who preferred to rework and polish his compositions, rejecting more than he kept, rather than composing many long works.

Compositional Technique

Corelli's music often blends the French dance-suite character of the 'da camera' form with the Italian 'da chiesa' model, which features alternating slow and fast movements and fugato passages.