Arcangelo Corelli Facts: Here's All You Need To Know About The Famous Italian Violinist

Arcangelo Corelli was rightfully known as the 'World's First Great Violinist'.

Arcangelo Corelli is one of the most famous and renowned composers of the Baroque era. A composer, teacher, and violinist, he wrote a total of 48 trio sonatas in his lifetime and was applauded by many of the influential people of the time.

He was born in 1653 in Fusignano, Italy, and died in 1713. Though he only wrote six operas that contained 12 compositions, he is considered one of the most important opera composers of his time.

His music is still enjoyed today by classical music fans all over the world. In this article, we will discuss some Arcangelo Corelli facts that you may not have known before.

Life History Of Arcangelo Corelli

The early life of Arcangelo Corelli is a bit of a mystery. Not much is known about this pioneer of baroque music, apart from the fact that he was born in Romagna, which was a small town in Fusignano, Italy.

• Before violin playing became the sole purpose of his life, Arcangelo Corelli was known as a simple boy who was born into a family of landowners.
• Records show that Arcangelo Corelli's father was also named Arcangelo and that he died just five weeks before the birth of the famous violinist.
• He was then raised by his mother, Santa.
• Arcangelo Corelli was the youngest of five children in the house.
• Some sources say that he received his early violin playing lessons from a priest who lived in a neighboring town.
• Corelli's music, however, was to further develop over the years as he learned from some of the most famous people of the time.
• Arcangelo Corelli is not only known as a violinist but also a composer and a teacher.
• His instrumental music was the most famous during this age and was widely listened to throughout Europe.
• In fact, even his concerts became extremely popular throughout not only France but the rest of Europe as well.
• He was born on February 17, 1653, which places him exactly a whole generation ahead of famous musicians such as Bach and Handel.
• In spite of the fact that their musical pieces were milestones, the contributions made by Arcangelo Corelli in terms of popularizing the concerti grossi can hardly be denied.
• It was through him that the concept of drawing a contrast between a four instrument group and a whole string orchestra became a famous concept, and for this, Arcangelo Corelli has been lovingly graced with several titles such as 'Founder of Modern Violin Technique', 'Father of Concerto Grosso', and 'World's First Great Violinist'.
• These names suit him and are hardly contested due to the fact that his popularization of this new technique in instrumental concerto paved the way for future musicians to give the world some of the most famous sonatas.
• It is believed that without the contributions of Arcangelo Corelli, musicians like Bach and Handel would not have been able to make the mark that they did.
• Some sources say that his education in terms of playing the violin came from Battista Bassani.
• On the other hand, he was guided in compositions by Matteo Simonelli.
• He received some of the fame that he deserved as a musician at the age of 19 and was already known in Europe.
• In 1679, he entered the court of Queen Christina of Sweden. She had settled in Rome in 1675, a year after her abdication.
• It was at this time that Arcangelo Corelli started to teach his skills and impart knowledge to a group of individuals.
• Simultaneously, his fame kept growing and he was eventually given the titles that we now identify the man with.
• While in the service of Queen Christina of Sweden, he was the one who led all her festivals, and also became the favorite musician of many influential figures such as Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni.
• He was the grand-nephew of another person named Cardinal Ottoboni, who became Pope Alexander VIII in 1679.
• After spending some time under the graces of the Duke of Modena, Arcangelo Corelli returned to Rome in 1708.
• This was the time in his life that he started living in the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni and eventually was invited to visit the king as well.
• One of the rather lesser-known facts about this man who gave some of the most famous music of his time is that he never married anyone.
• He died in January 1713 and was buried in Rome.
• After his death, the many precious violins and artworks that he owned were passed down to Corelli's relatives.

Famous Compositions

Even though his works are known to be the starting point of late Baroque music, the number of his compositions is very low.

• During his lifetime, he composed 12 solo sonatas, which could further be classified as church sonatas and chamber sonatas.
• Chamber sonatas are usually meant for a secular performance. Such sonatas were meant to be performed in front of a limited audience.
• On the other hand, as suggested by the name, church sonatas were meant to be performed with the purpose of worship.
• A church sonata is usually performed in a large gathering.
• This Italian composer is known for his trio sonatas as well.
• Trio sonatas basically consist of three parts. The top two parts are played by violinists, while the basso continuo is played by a cello.
• Trio sonatas therefore predominantly consist of performances by string instruments.
• He is known to have composed no less than 12 violin and continuo sonatas and 48 trio sonatas in his lifetime.
• Throughout his lifetime, Arcangelo Corelli created six operas, all of which had 12 compositions.
• The most famous amongst these would be Opus 5 and Opus 6. It is believed that his career reached an all-time high through the composition of Opus 5.
• Opus 3 is known to have been dedicated to Francesco II, who was the Duke of Modena.
• The duke is known to have been quite generous in gracing Arcangelo with riches and facilities during his long stay in Modena.
• However, Corelli was destined to live and die in Rome.
• He took fair advantage of the development of the violin family by choosing from the best wood in order to make the violin.
• This is a part of the reason why he had such an extensive collection of priceless violins by the time he passed away. Little is known about where those violins are today.

What was Arcangelo Corelli known for?

Arcangelo Corelli is known for his efforts in establishing the chamber music genre during the late Baroque music era. He also led Baroque music lessons for his patrons, which means that he passed on the knowledge that he received from some of the finest musicians of the time.

• It is said that Arcangelo Corelli went to Bologna for his education in playing the violin and that his primary instructor was a person named Leonardo Brugnoli.
• Even though the French violin techniques were not nearly as advanced as the German violin school, it cannot be denied that Arcangelo Corelli's contributions were a game-changer.
• This is because when he brought his knowledge of instrumental composition such as concerti grossi to France, Corelli's music sounds were too difficult for the violinists to even attempt to copy!
• Undoubtedly, Arcangelo Corelli's biggest contribution in the field of music was the popularization of concerti grossi.
• Even though he can hardly be given the credit of having invented this concept of bringing together a four instrument group in definite contrast with an entire string orchestra, the fact that his compositions made concerti grossi popular throughout the whole of Europe is achievement enough!

Who did Arcangelo Corelli influence?

Let's read about the people Corelli influenced.

• Two of the most famous people who were influenced by the compositions of Arcangelo Corelli were Tomaso Albinoni and Antonio Vivaldi.
• He is also known to have had some influence on the works of Handel and Bach.