ARCANGELO CORELLI 


ENGLISH
Lessons


PRESENTATION



Elisabeth Wallfisch
Odile Edouard
The art of playing violin
The violin
Les Arts Florissants
Aurora
Convivium
Corelli
Locatelli
John Holloway
cnsmd - lyon
















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Corelli
Words

Biography

Arcangelo Corelli was born at Fusignano, in the current-day province of Ravenna. Little is known about his early life. His master on the violin was Giovanni Battista Bassani. Matteo Simonelli, the well-known singer of the pope’s chapel, taught him composition.

His first major success was gained in Paris at the age of nineteen, and to this he owed his European reputation. From Paris, Corelli went to Germany. In 1681 he was in the service of the electoral prince of Bavaria; between 1680 and 1685 he spent a considerable time in the house of his friend and fellow violinist-composer Cristiano Farinelli (believed to be the uncle of the celebrated castrato Farinelli).
current-day actuel
the province province
little is known on connaît peu de choses
early life jeunesse
master on the violin maître de violon
to ow his reputation devoir sa réputation
to be in the service of être au service de
to spend time passer du temps
fellow compagnon
castrato castrat


In 1685 Corelli was in Rome, where he led the festival performances of music for Queen Christina of Sweden and he was also a favorite of Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni, grand-nephew of another Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni who in 1689 became Pope Alexander VIII). From 1689 to 1690 he was in Modena; the Duke of Modena was generous to him. In 1708 he returned to Rome, living in the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni. His visit to Naples, at the invitation of the king, took place in the same year.

The style of execution introduced by Corelli and preserved by his pupils, such as Francesco Geminiani, Pietro Locatelli, and many others, was of vital importance for the development of violin playing. It has been said that the paths of all of the famous violinist-composers of 18th-century Italy lead to Arcangelo Corelli who was their "iconic point of reference." (Toussaint Loviko, in the program notes to Italian Violin Concertos, Veritas, 2003)

to lead - led conduire
a favorite favori
grand-nephew grand-neveu
at the invitation of sur l'invitation de
to take place prendre place
in the same year la même année
it has been said that on a dit que
the path (-s)
of all of de tous parmi
18th century Italy L'Italie du 18ème siècle
iconic point of reference référence, icône


However, Corelli used only a limited portion of his instrument's capabilities. This may be seen from his writings; the parts for violin never proceed above D on the highest string, the highest note in the third position, The story has been told and retold that Corelli refused to play a passage which extended to A in altissimo in the overture to Handel’s oratorio Trionfo del Tempo (premiered in Rome, 1708), and took serious offence when the composer played the note.

Nevertheless, his compositions for the instrument mark an epoch in the history of chamber music. His influence was not confined to his own country. Johann Sebastian Bach studied the works of Corelli and based an organ fugue (BWV 579) on Corelli's Opus 3 of 1689, as Christoph Wolff noted in his biography of Johann Sebastian Bach: the learned musician (W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 2000). As a young man, Handel went to Italy and studied with Corelli.


however cependant
capability (-ies) capacité
writing (-s) écrit
to proceed above aller au-dessus de
string corde
told and retold dit et redit
a passage passage
to extend to aller jusqu'à/au
the overture to ouverture de
oratorio oratorio
premiere première
to take offence se sentir offensé
the composer compositeur
nevertheless néanmoins
to mark an epoch marquer une époque
to be confined to être confiné à, limité
to base on se baser sur
as a joung man alors qu'il était jeune


Musical society in Rome also owed much to Corelli. He was received in the highest circles of the aristocracy, and for a long time presided at the celebrated Monday concerts in the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni.

Corelli died in possession of a fortune of 120,000 marks and a valuable collection of pictures, the only luxury in which he had indulged. He left both to his benefactor and friend, who generously made over the money to Corelli's relations. Corelli is buried in the Pantheon at Rome. You can still trace back many generations from student to teacher from Corelli.


society société
the highest circles lcercles les plus élevés
aristocracy aristocratie
to preside at présider
in possession of en possession de
fortune fortune
valuable de valeur
picture (-s) peinture
luxury luxe
to indulge se livrer à
benefactor bienfaiteur
to make over transférer, céder
generously généreusement
to bury enterrer
at Rome à Rome
to trace back remonter la trace de
generation from génération à partir de

His compositions are distinguished by a beautiful flow of melody and by a mannerly treatment of the accompanying parts, which he is justly said to have liberated from the strict rules of counterpoint.

Six collections of concerti, sonatas and minor pieces for violin, with accompaniment of other instruments, besides several concerted pieces for strings, are authentically ascribed to Corelli. The most important of these is the XII Suonati a violino e violone o cimbalo (Rome, 1700). Corelli is also noted for the Twelve Concerti Grossi, opus 6, which is arguably one of his most famous works.

These concerti have often been popular in Western culture. 


to distinguish distinguer
flow flux
mannerly courtois, bien élevé
treatment raitement
justly à juste titre
to liberate from libérer de (l'emprise de)
rule (-s) règles
concerto - concerti concert
sonata - sonatas sonate
minor piece pièce mineure
the accompaniment of accompagnement de
besides à côté de
concerted pieces for arrangé pour
string (-s) cordes
to be ascribed to être attribué à
authentically authentiquement
arguably possiblement
famous célèbre
western cultur culture occidentale