The Opus 5 collection is divided into two groups: the first six are sonata da chiesa (church sonatas) with a slow-fast-slow-fast pattern, and the second six are sonata da camara (chamber sonatas) with an introductory Preludio followed by dances.
Composer Biography
Arcangelo Corelli, the composer, was born into a family of affluent landowners in the small Italian town of Fusignano, west of Ravenna, in 1653.
Cultural Impact
Corelli's Opus 5 Sonatas had a significant impact on violin technique, leading to the first major school of violin playing and influencing violin instruction for centuries.
Composition History
Corelli's Opus 5 Sonatas, published in 1700, were dedicated to Sofia Carlotta of Brandenburg, a supporter of the arts and sister of the future King George I of Great Britain.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Corelli was particularly pleased with his 'Follia' variations, acknowledging the satisfaction he took in composing them and the value he placed upon them.
Cultural Impact
The twelfth work in Opus 5, the 'Follia', is a series of variations on a popular 15th-century Portuguese dance, which was also used by composers like J.S. Bach, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff.
Cultural Impact
Corelli's Opus 5 Sonatas were exceptionally popular, with over fifty reprints by 1800, making them one of the most commercially successful works ever published.
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