Arcangelo Corelli - Biography
Archangelo Corelli celebrated violinist and Baroque Composer was born in Fusignani Italy on February 17th 1653 and died January 8th 1713 in Rome. There isn’t much known about his parents or childhood. We do know that he studied with Giovanni Bassini in Bologna. In 1671 he moved to Rome where he became violinist of the French Church. By 1679 he became a player in the Teatro Caprinico in Rome. In 1681 he moved to Bavaria where he became a leader in the orchestra of the Elector Prince of Bavaria. The same year he was to publish his first extant works a set of Sonatas for 2 Violins and Bass Continuo Op. 1.
By 1685 Corelli had returned to Rome where he was now to become a favorite of Queen Christina of Sweden while she was a resident of Rome. He also that year composed a set of Sonatas for 2 Violins and Continuo OP.2. Corelli served the powerful Cardinal Ottobroni who was a grandnephew to a pope. Outside of short periods of service in Modena and Naples Corelli was to remain in Rome. Corelli composed two sets of Sonatas for 2 Violins and Continuo Op. 3 and 4.In 1700 he was to compose 12 Sonatas for Violin and Keyboard Op. 5 that include the celebrated Sonata La Folia the 12th sonata of the series. Corelli by this time established an Italian Baroque Violin School continued by his pupils like Gemanini and Locatelli who were to become well known violinists and composers. His best known work was the set of 12 Concerto Grossi for Strings Op. 6 that the famed Christmas Concerto the 8th of the set.
Very little is known of Corelli’s personal life but he died in Rome a wealthy man in 1713 where he was buried in the Pantheon he was just short of his sixtieth birthday. He did have a profound effect on Violin technique and the history of the Baroque musical era.