Arcangelo Corelli

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Exerpt from "Famous Violinists of Today and Yesterday"
Arcangelo Corelli, whose name is recognised as one of the
greatest in the history of violin playing and composition,
and who laid the foundation for all future development of
technique, was born in 1653, at Fusignano, near Imola, in
the territory of Bologna.
He showed an early propensity for the violin, and studied
under Bassani, a man of extensive knowledge and
capabilities, while Mattei Simonelli was his instructor in
counterpoint.
Corelli at one time sought fame away from home, and he is
said to have visited Paris, where Lulli, the chief violinist of
{31} that city, exhibited such jealousy and violence that the
mild-tempered Corelli withdrew. In 1680 he went to
Germany, where he was well received, and entered the
service of the Elector of Bavaria, but he soon returned to
Rome. His proficiency had now become so great that his
fame extended throughout Europe, and pupils flocked to
him. His playing was characterised by refined taste and
elegance, and by a firm and even tone.
ARCHANGE CORELLI
ARCHANGE CORELLI
When the opera was well established in Rome, about 1690,
Corelli led the band. His chief patron in Rome was Cardinal
Ottoboni, and it was at his house that an incident occurred
which places Corelli at the head of those musicians who
have from time to time boldly maintained the rights of
music against conversation. He was playing a solo when he
noticed the cardinal engaged in conversation with another
person. He immediately laid down his violin, and,{32} on
being asked the reason, answered that "he feared the music
might interrupt the conversation."
Corelli was a man of gentle disposition and simple habits.
His plainness of dress and freedom from ostentation gave
the impression that he was parsimonious, and Handel says
of him that "he liked nothing better than seeing pictures
without paying for it, and saving money," He was also
noted for his objection to riding in carriages.
He lived on terms of intimacy with the leading artists of his
time, and had a great fondness for pictures, of which he had

a valuable collection. These he left at his death to Cardinal
Ottoboni.
It was at Cardinal Ottoboni's that Corelli became acquainted
with Handel, and at one of the musical evenings there a
"Serenata," written by the latter, was performed. Corelli
does not seem to have played it according to the ideas of the
composer, for Handel,{33} giving way to his impetuous
temper, snatched the fiddle out of Correlli's hand. Corelli
mildly remarked, "My dear Saxon, this music is in the
French style, with which I am not acquainted."
For many years Corelli remained at Rome, but at last he
yielded to temptation and went to Naples, where Scarlatti
induced him to play some of his concertos before the king.
This he did in great fear, for he had not his own orchestra
with him. He found Scarlatti's musicians able to play at first
sight as well as his own did after rehearsals, and, the
performance going off well, he was again admitted to play,
this time one of his sonatas, in the royal presence. The king
found the adagio so long and dry that he quitted the room,
much to Corelli's mortification. But greater trouble was in
store for the virtuoso. Scarlatti had written a masque, which
was to be played before the king, but owing to the
composer's{34} limited knowledge of the violin, Corelli's
part was very awkward and difficult, and he failed to
execute it, while the Neapolitan violinists played it with
ease. To make matters worse, Corelli made an unfortunate
mistake in the next piece, which was written in the key of C
minor, and led off in C major. The mistake was repeated,
and Scarlatti had to call out to him to set him right. His
mortification was so great that he quietly left Naples and
returned to Rome. He found here a new violinist, Valentini,
who had won the admiration of the people, and he took it so
much to heart that his health failed, and he died in January,
1713.
Corelli was buried in princely style in the Pantheon, not far
from Raphael's tomb, and Cardinal Ottoboni erected a
monument over his grave. During many years after his
death a solemn service, consisting of selections from his
own works, was performed in the Pantheon on the
anniversary of his{35} funeral. On this occasion, the works
were performed in a slow, firm, and distinct manner, just as
they were written, without changing the passages in the way
of embellishment, and this is probably the way in which he
himself played them.
Corelli's compositions are remarkable for delicate taste and
pleasing melodies and harmonies. He must be considered as
the author of the greatest improvement which violin music
underwent at the beginning of the eighteenth century. These
compositions are regarded as invaluable for the instruction
of young players, and some of them may be frequently
heard in the concert-room at the present day, two hundred
years since they were written. Corelli's most celebrated
pupils, Somis, Locatelli, Geminiani, and Ant, settled
respectively in Italy, Holland, England, and Poland.



RCANGELO CORELLI (1653-1713)
Musical Tidbit: Corelli the Composer
Concerto Grosso no. 9, arr. Mark Moya
Play Download (2.7MB)

Born at Fusignano in 1653, Arcangelo Corelli was to become one of the
most influential figures of the Baroque era. He is considered a pioneer of
violin technique and originated the practice of sychronized bowing in the
orchestra. Corelli studied in Bologna during his early years, moving to Rome
during the last quarter of the 17th century. There he joined the Arcadian
Academy, an exclusive club of sorts that included some of the most
celebrated artists and intellectuals of the era, including Alessandro Scarlatti
and the mighty Handel. While at Rome, Corelli enjoyed enormous popularity, and his patrons
included the queen of Sweden and Cardinal Ottoboni, for whom the famous Christmas
Concerto was written. He was a master of the trio sonata, a form employed universally during
the Baroque era and developed in the latter part of the 18th century into the Classical
symphony. He was well-known throughout Europe for his technical mastery of the violin (some
consider him a 17th century Paganini) and organized many large concerts that were widely
successful. At one of these concerts, however, he made a host of blunders which hurt his
reputation as a violinist somewhat, although his compositions remained the envy of lesser
contemporaries for nearly a hundred years. At the time of his death in 1713, he was a very
wealthy man and a musical icon. Corelli's influence is potently evident in much of the music of
the 18th century, especially so in the works of Handel, one of his greatest students. His
popularity remained strong even into the beginning of the 19th century--Thomas Jefferson
took a special liking to Corelli's music. With the advent of the early music movement during
the 20th century, interest in his work has experienced quite a resurgence, and his music serves
as a model for a small but accomplished group of composers just as it did some 250 years ago.
-Mark Moya (August, 2000)


Arcangelo CORELLI
17 February 1653 - 8 January 1713 (age 59)
Arcangelo Corelli, Italian
late baroque composer.
He has been called:
- "The Father of the
Concerto Grosso"
- "Founder of Modern
Violin Technique"
- "The World's Greatest
Violinist"
Family
Works
Concerto Grosso
Career
Links

4


Family
Born: 17 February 1653,
Fusignano, nr Bologna,
Italy
Zodiac: Aquarius
Parents: prosperous
landowners
Siblings: fifth child
Partners: Never married
Children: None
Died: Rome. 8 January

1713
Grave: Buried in the
Pantheon, Rome, next to
Raphael see findagrave


Works:
Period: Late Baroque
Output: small
Influenced by: Lully
Influenced: Albinoni, Handel, Pergolesi, Scarlatti, Telemann,
Vivaldi
Compositions:
- 48 trio sonatas
- 12 Violin sonatas
- 12 concerti grossi

Performed as the leading violinist of his day.
Directed and conducted concerts on a regular basis.
He was also an outstanding teacher. Antonio Vivaldi was his star student.

What is a Concerto Grosso?
Corelli didn't invent the concerto grosso (plural = concerti grossi) but he did develop it,
popularise it, teach it and write the first great works in that genre.
It consists of two contrasting groups of players: a small group of lead instrumentalists or
soloists - often two violins and a cello with maybe harpsichord and lute- and a full orchestra
(like a modern backing group).
In the video below you can see how this works.

Career
- age 13 - 18 studied at Bologna. The Venetian Leonardo Brugnol was one of his teachers.
- age 18 he went to Rome where he studied composition under Matteo Simonelli
- He soon established himself as one of Rome's leading musicians and won the patronage of
Queen Christina of Sweden who had moved to Rome following her abdication.
- After she died he entered the service of Cardinal Pamphili who paid him well and gave him
rooms at his palace.
- When Pamphili moved from Rome the young Cardinal Ottoboni, the Pope's nephew,
befriended him, employed him paying him even more. This was a position which he held for
the rest of his life.
- Corelli died an extremely wealthy man. He had accumulated a large and valuable art
collection.
- He was very well known and respected throughout Europe for his music and had a great
influence the future of music.

"La Follia"
Alessandra Talamo, Accademia degli Astrusi


Christmas Concerto, Adagio Op. 6 No. 8
by the San Francisco Early Music Ensemble Voices of Music


Sonata in F Major Op.5 No.4
Hanneke van Proosdij, recorder


Concerto Grosso, Opus 6 No. 8


http://www.52composers.com/corelli.html