CORELLI, Arcangelo 1653-1713

Parte Prima Sonate a Violino e Violone o Cimbalo Dedicate all Altezza Serenissima Electorale di Sofia Charlotta ... Opera Quinta. ... Parte Seconda Preludii Allemande Correnti Gighe Sarabande Gavotte e Follia. [Op. 5]

London: Sold by Iohn Walsh Servant to his Majesty at the Harp and Hautboy in Katherine Street near Somerset House in the Strand, [1700].

Oblong folio. Modern dark tan half calf with marbled boards, raised bands on spine in decorative blindstamped compartments, dark red leather title label gilt. 1f. (recto full-page engraving by P.P. Bouche after Meloni, verso blank), 1f. (recto title, verso blank), 1f. (recto printed dedication, verso blank), 3-39 pp., 1f. (recto secondary title, verso blank), 41-70 pp. Engraved throughout.

The attractive frontispiece incorporates musical instruments, a musical score of Corelli's first Op. 5 sonata, and a classical scene depicting the goddesses of war and music.

With early signature to upper outer corner of p. 3, "Will. Boulting."

Slightly worn, browned, and soiled, with occasional stains; light dampstain to upper margin of final leaves; frontispiece somewhat browned and soiled, reinforced at inner margin, edges frayed, not affecting image; title slightly soiled with paper repair to blank lower outer margin.

Contemporary overpaste to p. 26 correcting a printer's error.

First English edition, second issue, containing the Bouche frontispiece. Marx p. 174. Smith 31. Smith & Humphries 428. BUC p. 220. Sartori II, p. 198. RISM C3804.

The first six sonatas are "church" sonatas, while the second six (with a separate title) are "chamber" sonatas, the last of which is actually the Follia, one of the most renowned compositions of Baroque string literature.

The first edition of Corelli's Opus 5 was printed by Gasparo in Rome, followed shortly thereafter by Estienne Roger in Amsterdam and John Walsh in London. In an advertisement, Walsh described his edition as "Engraven in a curious Character, being much fairer, and more correct in the Musick, than that of Amsterdam" (London Gazette, 26 August 1700). Walsh's second impression was issued shortly after, now including the engraved frontispiece by Bouche after Meloni, similar to that in the Gasparo edition but with "XII Sonatas by Arcangelo Corelli His V Opera" placed in the shield.

"Despite the modest size of his output, comprising six collections of instrumental music and a handful of other authentic works, and its virtual restriction to three genres – solo sonata, trio sonata and concerto – Corelli exercised an unparalleled influence during his lifetime and for a long time afterwards. This influence, which affected form, style and instrumental technique in equal measure, was most closely felt in Italy, and in particular in Rome, where he settled in early manhood, but soon spread beyond local and national confines to become a European phenomenon. As a violinist, teacher of the violin and director of instrumental ensembles Corelli imposed standards of discipline that were unusually strict for their period and helped to lay the groundwork for further progress along the same lines during the 18th century. To Corelli belong equally the distinctions of being the first composer to derive his fame exclusively from instrumental composition, the first to owe his reputation in large part to the activity of music publishers, and the first to produce ‘classic’ instrumental works which were admired and studied long after their idiom became outmoded." Michael Talbot in Grove Music Online.

Item #39898

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