Download ARCANGELO CORELLI Concerto grosso in B

ARCANGELOCORELLI
ConcertogrossoinB-flatmajor,Op.6,No.11 Born:February17,1653,inFusignano,nearImola,Italy
Died:January8,1713inRome
Workcomposed:(ca.1680–90)
OneofthegreatlightsofthemiddleBaroquewasArcangeloCorelli,highlyesteemedasaviolinistand
asanimaginativeandfastidiouscomposerwhowrotecomparativelylittlemusic,allofithighlypolished
andjewel-like.Fewerthan100piecessurvive,includehislandmarksetof12concertigrossi,Op.6,
widelyknownandemulatedbycomposersthroughoutEurope.Hevirtuallyinventedtheconcerto
grosso,amulti-movementworkthatdividestheorchestrainalargercomponentcalledtheripienofor
thecomparativelyeasiermusic,andthesmallerconcertino,whichhandlesthemorevirtuosiclines.
Corellibeganwritingconcertosinthe1680s.In1710,hegatheredmanyofthesemusicaloffspringfor
publicationasaset,butdiedbeforecompletingthetask.Astudent,MatteoFornari,facilitatedediting
andarrangementofthefinalmanuscripts;thecollectionwaspublishedin1714byEstienneRogerof
Amsterdam.Ofthedozenworks,the“ChristmasConcerto”(No.8)isunquestionablythebestknown,
buteveryoneofthesesplendidworksisathingofexquisitebeautyandcraftsmanship.
Numbers1–8aredesignateddachiesa(“ofthechurch”),whichsimplymeanstheyhavenodance
movements;theyarenotnecessarilyreligiousinnature.Thefinalfourworksaredacamera(“ofthe
chamber”)withmovementtitlesandrhythmicformulasdrawnfromthedance,e.g.,Allemanda,
Corrente,SarabandaandGiga—aswellasGavottaandMinuetto.
ConcertoNo.11inB-flatopenswithaslow,gentlyrockingintroductoryPreludiothatyieldstothe
concertino(thesmallersologroupwithintheripieno,i.e.,theentireensemble).TheensuingAllemanda
announcesitsarrivalwithaseriesofboldlyinflectedchords.Scurryingstringfiguresaccompanythe
melodicline.AbriefAdagiocomesnext,bearingdarkerexpressiveharmoniesbeneathasearchingsolo
violinline;silencesbetweenchordsenhanceemotion.
Anotherslowmovement,markedAndantelargolivesintheminormodeandfeaturesanotherwalking
basslinewithtypicallyrichCorellianharmonicsuspensions.Asubtle“echo”effectaddsfurtherinterest.
ASarabandafollowsgracedwithachordalaccompanimentunderasweetandlyricalmelody.Witha
nodtowardsBritain,aquick-pacedGiga(“Gigue”)brieflydetoursintheminormodebeforeending
resolutelyinthemajor.
©2016StevenLowe