12 Trio Sonatas / Sonate da chiesa, Op. 3 [2/3] - Corelli (Score)

Patreon:   / classicalmusicanalysis  
Website: http://www.classicalmusicanalysis.com

Score of Arcangelo Corelli's 5th to 8th sonatas of his 12 trio sonatas, Opus 3, a set of sonate da chiesa ("church sonatas", in contrast to the more suite-esque "chamber sonatas") written for two violins and basso continuo. Corelli was one of the first to make the distinction between the two types of sonata and was one of the most important composers to further develop them, which later influenced and evolved into the classical sonata.

Corellian church sonatas differ from chamber sonatas not because of the building's name where the music was performed (because they both weren't played only in churches or chambers) but because they use counterpoint and fugato texture. The main characteristic of Corelli's standardization of his church sonatas is that they all have four movements that almost always follow a Slow-Fast-Slow-Fast (SFSF) pattern:
- First movement: in almost all of Corelli's church sonatas the first movement is a slow introduction (SI) in binary form, duple (or, less commonly, triple) meter, and with chains of syncopated dissonances known as "durezze e ligature" (harshness and ties/syncopations).
- Second movement: a fast fugue (Fu) in duple (or, less commonly, triple) meter and with imitative polyphony and dialogue.
- Third movement: a triple meter movement (Tr) generally slow and of imitative or homophonic texture. It can also sometimes be a fugue.
- Fourth movement: in can be a dance fugato (DF) generally in triple meter, the most common one; or proper dances (D) with the requisite regular phrasing and bipartite structure; or, less commonly, proper fugues. All three options are in fast tempo.

00:00 - (Introduction)
00:17 - No. 5 in D minor (SFSF / SI-Fu-Tr-DF)
06:56 - No. 6 in G major (FSFF / Fu-SI-Fu-DF)
12:30 - No. 7 in E minor (SFSF / SI-Fu-Tr-D)
18:16 - No. 8 in C major (SFSF / SI-Fu-Tr-DF)

Performers: London Baroque; Charles Medlam (conductor)