The Works - Opuses 1 to 6 - Arcangelo Corelli da Fusignano 1711 to Circa 1745 - Walsh, London - Opus 5 - First English Edition, Opuses 1-4 & A complete set of the great Arcangelo Corelli’s works, Opuses 1-6, including ‘La Folia’. Opuses 1-5 finely bound in five later tan calf volumes, Opus 6 in seven 18th century volumes. Total twelve volumes.

Arcangelo Corelli da Fusignano (1653–1713) was one of the most sought-after violin teachers in Italy and his pupils included Castrucci, Gasparini, Geminiani, Bonporti and Locatelli. ‘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, Grove (online).
  Opuses 1, 2, 3 and 4 - Four finely bound volumes, one for each instrument - Violino I, Violino II, Violoncello, and Organo, with each volume containing the four Opera (48 Sonatas), and four separate title pages. Volume one with engraved frontispiece of Corelli by Van der Gucht from the portrait by Hugh Howard.

Opus 5 with the ‘La Folia’ - One volume finely bound to match opuses 1 to 4. With engraved frontispiece of Corelli by William Sherwin from the portrait by Hugh Howard. Containing all twelve sonatas for violin and clavier. The sonatas were the first works to abandon the trio sonata form and concentrate on the solo violin and basso continuo, the birth of the violin sonata. Later, Corelli dedicated the work to Sophia Charlotte (1668–1705), the wife of the Elector of Brandenburg. Opus 5 was a landmark in the history of violin playing. Over forty further editions of it appeared during the eighteenth century. Francesco Geminiani even produced a successful arrangement of the Sonatas as concerti grossi. The most famous Sonata of the set was No 12. Cast as a single movement in the form of a chaconne, it is almost too well known to invite comment, but mention should be made of Corelli’s unprecedented instinct for the overall balance of the variations; he always judges exactly when to succeed fast with slow, hectic with calm. And lest the role of the accompanist be forgotten, the Sonata ends with a sequence of dazzling semiquavers for the basso continuo. Although the famous ‘La Folia’ tune had appeared in dozens of arrangements during the seventeeth century this was its first taste of the exalted world of the sonata.

With regard to the form of the piece, the first six out of the twelve sonatas are five-movement sonatas de chiesa, while the rest of six pieces are sonatas de camera, the twelfth being ‘La Folia’. Folia, meaning “stupidity”, was originally a lively, fast-paced dance that developed in Portugal in the late 15th century. By the 17th century, it had evolved into a much slower dance. Corelli’s La Folia encouraged many other composers to try their hand at composing in this style, with Vivaldi, Scarlatti, and many followers being the composers that created works entitled “La Folia”.


Opus 6 - Seven thin folio volumes in contemporary bindings with frontispiece engraved portrait of Corelli by Michael van der Gucht (Vandergucht) from William Howard in volume I. ‘In today's repertory, the Corelli's Concerti grossi Op. 6 are regarded as the culminating works of their genre, which had a relatively short shelf-life but which exerted a strong impact on the future direction of ensemble music for strings’ [Eleanor Selfridge-Field]. One of Corelli's famous students, Geminiani, thought so much of the Opus 5 Sonatas that he arranged all the works in that group as Concerti Grossi. However, it is in his own Concerti Grossi Opus 6 that Corelli reached his creative peak and climaxed all his musical contributions.

'In today's repertory, the Corelli's Concerti grossi Op. 6 are regarded as the culminating works of their genre, which had a relatively short shelf-life but which exerted a strong impact on the future direction of ensemble music for strings. Corelli signed the dedication for Op. 6 in Rome on 3 December 1712, five weeks before his death. The two volumes did not appear until 1714.

As a genre, the concerto grosso was a logical outgrowth of the trio sonata. The evolution came about in stages. The differentiation of a concertino (group of soloists) from a ripieno had been found abundantly in the early years of the seventeenth century. The difference would be expressed in written notation by clustering like- timbred instruments (as in modern scores). This clarified the on-again, off-again nature of collaboration between the groups.

The concerto grosso was both more economical and more articulate. It was economical in extracting all the concertino parts from the ripieno parts. There was no musical independence between the groups. In performance, however, the ripieno sounded fuller not only when it involved more instruments but also because a part for viola(s) was added to the two violins and string bass (or cello). Alternation between soli and tutti became more purposeful, ripieno refrains (ritornelli) became the norm, and the overall structure of the work was architecturally clear rather than, as in earlier decades, somewhat meandering.

The viola parts in Corelli’s Op. 6 are particularly of interest. They do not occur in any of his other published works, but they show him to be devoted to enabling the instrument to be a full musical participant. (Viola parts in other and later times could be entirely perfunctory.)

Beyond the considerations of resulting sonority, Corelli provides some highly elaborated movements in both sections of Op. 6. The first eight works are modeled on the sonata da chiesa, the "church" sonata. They have numerous changes of tempo but few extensive slow movements. Adagio and Largo passages are inclined to be short and transitional. The last four works are modeled on the sonata da camera, the "chamber" sonata. Most employ suite movements such as allemandes, sarabandes, correntes, and gigues. They do not employ the fussy tempo contrasts (allegro, adagio, et al.) of the first eight works.

The long-time favorite of Op. 6 has been the Christmas Concerto (No. 8, fatto per la notte di Natale, made for Christmas night.) The 6/8 meter and the drone bass were widely associated with the simple music of shepherds, who carried in from the hills a rustic species of bagpipe (zampogna) that played in parallel thirds over a drone.’ [Eleanor Selfridge-Field -
MuseData].

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Titles, Publishers, Dates, References and Pagination.

Opuses 1-4 - Two volumes - Violino I & II:- XII Sonatas of three parts for two Violins and a Bass with A Through Bass for ye Organ Harpsicord or Arch Lute Engrav’d from ye Score and Carefully Corected by ye best Italian Masters.
Circa 1740, 1745 - Printed for J. Walsh Serv’t to her Majesty at ye Harp & Hoboy in Katherine Street near Somerset House in ye Strand, London.

1.
Violino Primo: pp. [2] Frontis engraved portrait of Corelli (’H. Howard Pinx. - Vdr. Gucht Sculp.). (Opera Prima) [Title] [2] 24 [1];
(Opera Secunda) [Title] [2] 18 [1]; (Opera Terza) [Title] [2] 25; (Opera Quarta) [Title] [2] 16 [3].

2.
Violino Secondo: pp. [2] (Opera Prima) [Title] [2] 1-15, 18-24 [1]; (Opera Secunda) [Title] [2] 18 [1]; (Opera Terza) [Title] [2] 25; (Opera Quarta) [Title] [2] 16 [5].

References: Smith & Humphries,
Walsh 1721-1766, 413, 415-6, 419-20, 423-4 (Circa 1740). Humboldt- Universität RISM - C 3672-4, 3755-6, 3788-9 (1735).


Opuses 1-4 - Two volumes - Violoncello & Organo:- Sonate a Tre. Due Violini e Violone Col Basso per L'Organo di Arcangelo Corelli. Da Fusignano Detto Il Bolognese. Novelle Edition trez Exactament Corrigee. Opera Prima, Secunda, Terza et Quarta.

1.
Violoncello - 1720 - Imprime per Richard Meares Segr. et Junr. A L’ensign de la Bass de Viole D’or dans le Cemetiere de St. Paul, London.
pp. (Opera Prima) [Title] [2] 2-25 [1]; (Opera Secunda) [Title] [1] 12; (Opera Terza) [Title] [2] 24 [1]; (Opera Quarta) [Title] [1] 14 [4].
Reference: Humboldt-Universität RISM - C 3682, 3719, 3749, 3782 (1710).

2.
Organo - Circa 1745 - Printed for and sold by John Johnson, at the Harp and Crown, facing Bon Church in Cheapside, where may be had ye rest of this Authors works in the same Character. Also these Sonatas and Corelli’s Concertos in Score., London.
pp. (Opera Prima) [Title] [2] 2-25 [1]; (Opera Secunda) [Title] [1] 12; (Opera Terza) [Title] [2] 24 [1]; (Opera Quarta) [Title] [1] 14 [4].
References: OCLC (Circa 1745) ‘
Circa 1745. Reprinted from the plates of Richard Meares, [ca. 1722]’. Humboldt- Universität RISM - C 3684, 3721, 3751, 3785 (1754).


Opus 5 - One volume
:- XII Sonatas or Solos for a Violin a Bass Violin or Harpsicord. Compos’d by Arcangelo Corelli. His Fifth Opera. This Edition has ye advantage of haveing ye Graces to all ye Adagio’s and other places where the Author thought proper by Arcangelo Corelli. The Second Part. Containing Preludes, Allemands, Corants, Jiggs, Sarabands, Gavots, & ye Folia.
1711 - Printed for J. Walsh Serv’t to her Majesty at ye Harp & Hobby in Katherine Street in ye Strand, & J.Hare at ye Viol & Flute in Cornhill nere ye Royal Exchange., London - First English Edition (first published in Rome in 1700)

pp. [2] Frontis engraved portrait of Corelli (’
H. Howard pinx. - W. Sherwin Sculp.’), [1 Title] [1] 1-61 (Sonata I-VI); [1 Title ‘The Second Part. Containing Preludes, Allemands, Corants, Jiggs, Sarabands, Gavots, & ye Folia.’] 63-83 (Sonata VII-XI), 84-92 (Folia XII).

References: Smith,
A Bibliography of the Musical Works Published By the Firm of John Walsh 1695-1720, 400. Smith & Humphries, A Bibliography of the Musical Works Published By the Firm of John Walsh 1721-1766 [1968], 429. Humboldt-Universität RISM, C3816. Marx, Uberlieferung der Werke Arcangelo Corellis 177/14.


Opus 6 - Seven thin folio volumes:- Concerti Grossi Con duoi Violini, e Violoncello di Concertino obligati, e duoi altri Violini, Viola, e Basso di Concerto Grosso, ad arbitrio, che si potranno radoppiare. Opera Sesta. XII Great Concertos, or Sonatas, for the Violins and a Violincello: or for two Violins more, a Tenor and a Thorough-Bass: Which may be doubled at Pleasure. Being the Sixth and last work of Arcangelo Corelli.
Circa 1740 - Printed for I:Walsh, Servant in Ordinary to his Majesty, Katherine Street, in the Strand, London

1.
Violino Primo del Concertino - pp. Frontis engraved portrait of Corelli (’H. Howard Pinx. - Vdr. Gucht Sculp.). [Title] [1] 1-23 Concerto I-VIII, 24 ‘Preludii’, 25-34 Concerto IX-XII.

2.
Violino Secondo del Concertino - pp. [Title] [1] 1-23 Concerto I-VIII, 24 ‘Preludii’, 25-33 Concerto IX-XII [1].

3.
Violincello del Concertino - pp. [Title] [1] 1-21 Concerto I-VIII, [1] 23 ‘Preludii’, 24-31 Concerto IX-XII [1].

4.
Violino Primo del Concerto Grosso - pp. [Title] [1] 1-18 Concerto I-VIII [1 ‘Preludii’] 20-27 Concerto IX-XII [1]. 5. Violino Secondo del Concerto Grosso. pp. [Title] [1] 1-18 Concerto I-VIII [1 ‘Preludii’] 20-27 Concerto IX-XII [1].

6.
Alto Viola - pp. [Title] [1] 1-18 Concerto I-VIII [1 ‘Preludii’] 20-27 Concerto IX-XII [1].

7.
Basso del Concerto Grosso - pp. [Title] [1] 1-18 Concerto I-VIII [1 ‘Preludii’] 20-27 Concerto IX-XII [1].

Reference: Smith & Humphries,
A Bibliography of the Musical Works Published By the Firm of John Walsh 1721 -1766 [1968], 405.

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Engravers - William Sherwin (1645–1711) was an English engraver, and engraver to the King, one of the first to work with mezzotints. Michael Vandergucht (or van der Gucht; 1660-1725) was a Flemish engraver who worked for most of his career in England.
  Opuses 1-5 bound to style in five volumes of three quarter tan calf over vintage marbled boards, spines titled and tooled in gilt, matching marbled endpapers, Opuses 1-4 with edges inked in red. Opus 6 in seven volumes of contemporary half red morocco over marbled boards.   Condition: Opuses 1-5 - very good to near fine, portraits rebacked, some offsetting, in fine bindings. Opus 6 - near fine, some light soiling, in very good bindings, rubbing to edges, some wear to corners, wear to spine ends heavier to first three volumes with some loss.   Ref: 107457   Price: HK$ 50,000