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Donald Macleod traces the relationship between Arcangelo Corelli and his musical contemporaries.

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 discovers more details about Corelli's life and character through his relationship with other composers. Including stories of Alessandro Scarlatti's jealousy over Corelli’s exulted position in Rome and Handel's visit with the great master, made when he travelled to Rome as a young man. Handel not only composed music based on some of Corelli’s own themes but also probably composed a violin concerto for Corelli to play.

Sonata in A minor, op 4 No 5
London Baroque

Sonata in B minor, op 4 No 12
London Baroque

Sonata in C, Op 2 No 3
The Avison Ensemble
Pavlo Beznosiuk, director

Sonata in F major, Op 2 No 7
The Avison Ensemble
Pavlo Beznosiuk, director

Handel
Sonata a 5, HWV288 (Violin Concerto in B flat)
Academy of Ancient Music
Richard Egarr, director

Corelli
Sonata in G minor WoO2
La Stagione
Michael Schneider, director

Corelli Arr. J. C. Schickhardt
Concerto Grosso Op 6 No 3
Le Concert Francais

Produced by Luke Whitlock, for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Wales