CORELLI, Arcangelo 1653-1713

XII Solos for a Violin with a Thorough Bass for the Harpsicord or Violoncello ... Opera Quinta. N.B. These Solos are Printed from a curious Edition Publish'd at Rome by the Author. [Score]

London: Printed for and Sold by I. Walsh, in Catherine Street in Strand, of whom may be had all the Works of Corelli (viz) his Sonatas and Concertos in Parts and in Score, [ca. 1740].

Quarto. Late nineteenth century full dark brown calf over wooden boards with decorative blindstamping in black, spine with raised bands in compartments with dark red leather title label gilt, marbled endpapers. 1f. (recto title, verso blank), 37, [i] (secondary title "The Second Part Containing Preludes Allemands, Corants, Jiggs, Sarabands, Gavots, & ye Follia"), 39-68 pp. Lacking portrait. Engraved throughout.

Early signature "Anna Sophia [...]" to upper outer corner of title. Occasional slurs and "x" marks lightly pencilled in. With an added contrapuntal line in contemporary manuscript to adagio of Sonatas IX (p. 49) and XI (p. 57).

Title leaf lined and soiled. Occasional soiling and staining, mostly marginal; repairs to blank outer and lower margins of a number of leaves, including title. Lacking portrait.

Marx p. 181, no. 26. BUC p. 221. Smith & Humphries 430. RISM C3827.

Bound with:
[Six sonatas for violin and basso continuo]. Ca. 1765. 25, [i] (blank), 27-30 pp. With "These Lessons are not by Corelli" in contemporary black ink above first sonata. Occasional marginalia of a religious nature; full page of cancelled text to blank p. [26] in contemporary brown ink. An unidentified work. Moderately browned, heavier to first and last leaves; minor paper repairs to final leaf; some leaves closely trimmed, not affecting text. Lacking title.

Binding slightly worn, rubbed, and bumped; three small stains to upper.

The added contrapuntal line to Sonatas IX and XI, a sophisticated addition to Corelli's text, includes paired thirds and sixths, viola-like fleshing out of the figures and, in the case of Sonata IX, a bold augmented sixth, not indicated in the figures. The adagio of Sonata XI also includes an ossia passage above the stave with an alternative cadential pattern. A continuo player may have used this added line in their accompaniment of the violin; it is also possible that a keyboard player performed these sonatas as solos, reading from the grand staff and enriching the music with extra counterpoint.

"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 #39924

Price: $750.00  other currencies