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Donald Macleod explores Arcangelo Corelli’s relationships with the nobility and crowned heads.

Arcangelo Corelli was something of a European phenomenon not only during his lifetime, but also after his death. His compositional output was not large, but the development of the printing press enabled his music to be widely circulated. Musically, he bridged the gap between the Baroque and the Classical periods, and is seen as pivotal in the development of the sonata and the concerto. Even today, Corelli’s music is held in high esteem, with composers still inspired by his music. As a violinist he was also legendary, and people flocked from all over Europe to not only hear him play, but to also be taught by him. Corelli spent most of his career in Rome, maintained in some luxury by royalty, nobility and the Church. During his career he collaborated with many other composers including Alessandro Scarlatti and Handel. Despite his fame and continued popularity, we still know relatively little about Corelli, and this Composer of the Week series seeks to explore the man and his music through his personal and professional relationships.

In this programme, Donald Macleod journeys through the many relationships Corelli had with nobles and royals, ranging from the eccentric Queen Christina of Sweden and the Electress Sofia Carlotta of Brandenburg, to Duke Francesco d’Este of Modena and the King of Naples. Corelli was fortunate to be employed by the nobility, to the extent that he would often receive offers from different aristocrats. They tried to poach Corelli from one another, wanting to secure the services of the famed Corelli for themselves.

Fuga con un soggetto solo
London Baroque
Dan Laurin, director

Sonata in G minor, Op 5 No 5
Andrew Manze, violin
Richard Egarr, harpsichord

Sonata in F, Op 1 No 1
The Avison Ensemble

Sonata in A minor, Op 1 No 4
The Avison Ensemble

Sonata in B minor, Op 3 No 4
Monica Huggett, violin
Alison Bury, violin
Jaap Ter Linden, cello
Hopkinson Smith, theorbo
Ton Koopman, harpsichord

Sonata in F minor, Op 3 No 9
Monica Huggett, violin
Alison Bury, violin
Jaap Ter Linden, cello
Hopkinson Smith, theorbo
Ton Koopman, harpsichord

Concerto Grosso in F, Op 6 No 12
The English Concert
Trevor Pinnock, director

Produced by Luke Whitlock, for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Wales