Sonata in A Major, Op. 5 No. 9 by Arcangelo Corelli

Thursday in A Week with Parish House Baroque
Elisa Wicks, artistic director and baroque violin
Jennifer Carpenter, recorder
Pamela Chaddon, baroque cello
Eric Wicks, harpsichord

In spite of his unparalleled influence and notoriety, Arcangelo Corelli’s (1653-1741) output is
rather modest. His oeuvre is restricted to three genres--solo sonata, trio sonata, and concerto.
To Corelli belongs the equal distinctions of being the first composer to find fame exclusively
from instrumental compositions, the first to owe his fame in large part to the active music
publishing business, and the first to produce works that became “classics” to be studied and
admired long after his death. In Corelli’s sonatas, we find a distinction between sonata da
chiesa (church sonata) and sonata da camera (chamber sonata). The latter often includes
dance suites while the former frequently includes a fugue-like movement. With the op.5 sonatas,
Corelli starts to merge the two styles and his Sonata no. 9 (1700) exemplifies characteristics of
both styles.

#baroque #sojourns #Corelli
Jennifer Carpenter, program notes
Michael Lascuola, video
Eric Wicks, audio