Arcangelo Corelli

Classical Music / Baroque Composers

 Arcangelo Corelli (b. 17 February 1653 – d. 8 January 1713), was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era. Baptismal records indicate that he was born on 17 February in the smal Romagna town of Fusignano, (family were land-owners), then in the diocese of Ferrara, Papal States. His father, from whom he took the name Arcangelo, died five weeks before the composer's birth. Consequently, he was raised by his mother, Santa (née Ruffini, or Raffini), alongside four elder siblings.

He visited Modena and Nales, conducted at the Roman residence of Queen Christina of Sweden, and t uaght many pupils including Geminiani. 




His music, marked by graceful melody, is richer in contrapuntal and harmonic interest, and admired for the balance and brilliance of its style. He was key in the development of the modern genres of sonata and concerto, in establishing the preeminence of the violin.


 Image Credit: 

Arcangelo Corelli  as painted in 1697 by the Irish painter Hugh Howard. Public Domain. 

Video Credit:

Corelli - The Complete 12 Violin Sonatas, Op.5 | Andrew Manze & Richard Egarr. YouTube, uploaded by Essential Classical. Accessed February 17, 2018. 

Resources:

Arcangelo Corelli. en.wikipedia.org. 

The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music, ed. by Stanley Sadie. London: Macmillan Press, 1994.


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