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Mr Corelli in London

Label: Harmonia Mundi

Cat No: HMU907523

Barcode: 0093046752323

Format: CD

Number of Discs: 1

Release Date: 29th March 2010

This product has now been deleted. Information is for reference only.

Works

Corelli, Arcangelo

Ground upon the Sarabanda theme of the 7th Sonata
The Favorite Gigg in Corelli's 5th Solo in G minor
Violin Sonatas (12), op.5

» no.4 in F major

» no.7 in D minor

» no.8 in E minor

» no.10 in F major

» no.12 in D minor 'La Folia'

Artists

Maurice Steger (recorder)
English Concert

Conductor

Laurence Cummings

Works

Corelli, Arcangelo

Ground upon the Sarabanda theme of the 7th Sonata
The Favorite Gigg in Corelli's 5th Solo in G minor
Violin Sonatas (12), op.5

» no.4 in F major

» no.7 in D minor

» no.8 in E minor

» no.10 in F major

» no.12 in D minor 'La Folia'

Artists

Maurice Steger (recorder)
English Concert

Conductor

Laurence Cummings

About

Recorder virtuoso Maurice Steger, deftly assisted by The English Concert and Laurence Cummings, performs a sparkling program of concertos fashioned by the English adherents of Arcangelo Corelli from the Italian master’s visionary Violin Sonatas, Op.5.

Although he never set foot on English soil and his compositions were already half a century old, Corelli was the absolute darling of London’s society around 1730. The musicians close to Handel soon realised that they were far more likely to succeed if they incorporated Corelli’s themes as opposed to only performing their own works. Variations on Corelli and new versions of his older pieces were soon 'de rigeur'. Over the course of the next few years, Corelli’s violin sonatas Op.5 were complemented by large numbers of virtuoso adaptations. This music corresponded perfectly to the musical taste of the times and, although originally composed for the violin, the sonatas were soon performed in almost every conceivable instrumentation.

Francesco Geminiani, James Paisible, Pietro Castrucci, John Loeillet, William Babell and Robert Valentine are just a few composers who adapted Corelli’s music and, through variations, ornamentations and orchestrations left their mark on the originals.

Francesco Geminiani’s orchestral version of the Op.5 sonatas serves as the basis for Maurice Steger’s current project. The recorder soloist uses this beautiful fabric of sound to perform the original variations, which survived as handwritten sheet music. They come to life as wonderfully lyrical or virtuoso adaptations that sometimes test the boundaries of what is technically possible.