A Biography and Music History Presentation
by: Peter Clegg
Biography and
Achievements

 Born on February 17, 1653 in Fusignano, Italy
 His reputation was gained by the nice tone of his
playing and the elegant form of his presentation.
 His contributions to music can be divided in three
ways; a violinist, composer and teacher.
 It was his skill on the new instrument, known as
the violin, which gave that instrument its
prominent place in music.
 He was conferred many titles, like “World’s First
Great Violinist,” “Father of the Concerto Grosso”
and “Founder of Modern Violin Technique.”
 Corelli’s achievements had a great impact on
instrumental music with a long list of composers,
such as Handel, Bach and Albinoni in addition to
his own pupils.
A Brief History of
Sonate da Chiesa a tre, opus I (Rome, 1681)

 This Sonata was written in the Baroque Era
 Corelli dedicated Opus I to the Queen of Sweden, Queen Christina.
She was an avid supporter of the arts and an accomplished musician
herself.
 In 1674 she founded the Accademia Reale and in 1679, Corelli sought
to satisfy her musical desires by composing sonatas for the Academy
held in her residence, the Palazzo Riario.
 Given the support that Queen Christina had shown Corelli, it is not a
surprise that he chose to dedicate his first published work to her.
 Most of Corelli's da chiesa sonatas follow a slow-fast-slow-fast
pattern. This setup has been credited to Corelli.
 In Sonata No. 4 of Opus I there are three fast movements, which
deviates significantly from this pattern. Even though the fourmovement S-F-S-F form was popular in the eighteenth century, it was
rare in 1681.
Listening Guide:
Sonate da Chiesa a tre, opus I, Sonate I
Date: 1681 (Rome)
Genre: Sonate da Chiesa “Church Sontata”
Sonate 1 in F major
Melody: Led by strings,
Rhythm/Meter: Smooth, broad quadruple meter feel.
Harmony: Imitation of melody, continuous bass line.
Form: Slow, Fast, Slow Fast
Performing Forces: 2 Violins and Organ
1. Grave 0:00
Violins introduce the melody and theme. Slow
moving,
2. Allegro 1:21
Keep the same melody but with a happier tone and
tempo. With a few reoccurring minor chords thrown
in to keep things interesting.
3. Adagio 2:46
Bring it back slow tempo, violins continue to take
turns leading. Organ plays a counter melody. With a
few dissonance chords played
4. Allegro 4:42
Fast again! Violin plays a phrase, and Violin 2 and
Organ imitate.
Listening Guide:
Sonate da Chiesa a tre, opus I, Sonate II
Sonate 2 in E minor
Melody: Reoccurring counter melodies shared
by the different instruments.
Rhythm/Meter: Varying meter, starting with
quadruple going to triple and ending a 3/8.
Harmony: Imitation theme.
Form: Slow, Fast, Slow Fast
Performing Forces: 2 Violins, Cello, Organ
1. Grave 0:00
Very Dramatic and drawn out.
2. Vivace 1:40
Lively, almost like a competition between
instruments.
3. Adagio 2:44
Slow things down, and change meter.
4. Allegro 4:06
Variation of the original melody. Imitation of
the first violin. Ends in a key change a step and
a half up.
Works Cited
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http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/arcangelo-corelli-454.php.
Abbandonata, Didone. "Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) - Trio Sonatas Opus 1." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Feb. 2013.
Web. 18 Oct. 2014.
Fleming,, Simon D. L. "The Avison Ensemble." Linn Records. Linn, 2014. Web. 17 Oct. 2014.
Forney, Kristine, and Joseph Machlis. The Enjoyment of Music. Eleventh Edition ed. New York: W.W. Norton,
2008. Print. Shorter Version.
Hager, Nancy. "The Age of Milton." Google Books. Greenwood Publishing Group, 30 May 2004. Web. 18 Oct.
2014.
Macleod, Donald. "Arcangelo Corelli." Audio blog post. BBC Music. BBC, 20 June 2014. Web. 18 Oct. 2014.
Oron, Aryeh. "Arcangelo Corelli (Composer) - Short Biography." Arcangelo Corelli (Composer) - Short
Biography. Bach Cantatas Website, 2008. Web. 17 Oct. 2014.
Shelokhonov, Steve. "Biography." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2014.