Baroque Music - Composers

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Arcangelo Corelli

- (b Fusignano, nr. Milan, 1653; d Rome, 1713).
Italian violinist and composer. Studied in Faenza, Lugo, and (from 1666) Bologna. By 1675 was in Rome, where he became one of leading violinists. Joined court of Queen Christina 1679-86. From 1687 was under patronage of Cardinal Pamphili, and from 1690 under that of Cardinal Ottoboni. Lived in cardinal's palace and died a rich man with a fine art collection. His importance as a composer lies in his sonatas da camera and concerti grossi from which the solo sonata and the orchestra concertos of Händel and Bach evolved. They are beautiful in themselves, notably the Christmas Concerto. His works are grouped under six opus numbers.

1. 12 Sonatas a tre;
2. 12 Sonatas da camera a tre;
3. 12 Sonatas a tre;
4. 12 Sonatas da camera a tre;
5. 12 Sonatas for violin or violin and cembalo (also arranged as concerti grossi by Geminiani);
6. 12 Concerti Grossi.

- The Oxford Dictionary of Music

Girolamo Frescobaldi

(b Ferrara, 1583; d Rome, 1643)
Italian composer and organist. Held post at Antwerp, becoming organist at St. Peter's, Rome, 1608-28 (30,000 are said to have attended his first performance there, an indication of his reputation as a virtuoso). Organist at Florentine court 1628-33, returning to St. Peter's thereafter. Composed motets and madrigals, Masses and Magnificats, but principle achievements were his toccatas, fugues, ricercari, and capriccios for organ and harpsichord. His music had a strong influence on German music through his pupil Froberger. Baroque music for the next century was influenced by Frescobaldi's development of variation-form.

- The Oxford Dictionary of Music

Diderik Buxtehude

(b Oldesloe, Holstein, c. 1637; d Lübeck, 1707)
Danish organist and composer. In 1668 appointed organist, Marienkirche, Lübeck, from which his fame as a player spread through Europe. In 1673 reinstated practice of giving ambitious music performances in association with church services. Known as Abendmusiken (evening concerts), they were held annually on the five Sundays before Christmas. Such was Buxtehude's fame that J. S. Bach walked 200 miles from Arnstadt to hear him play. Composed many works for organ (which influenced Bach), and trio sonatas. His vocal music, most of it to sacred texts, is as important as his organ works. He wrote 20 cantatas, of which the cycle of seven, Membra Jesu Nostri (1680) is highly regarded; his other vocal compositions may be categorized as concertos, chorales, and arias. His arias suggest the influence of Monteverdi, with a strong preference for strophic form over the da capo aria.

- The Oxford Dictionary of Music

Tomaso Albinoni

(b Venice, 1671; d Venice, 1751)
Italian composer of 81 operas, 99 sonatas, 59 concertos and 9 sinfonias. J. S. Bach made use of several of his themes and used Albinoni bass parts for practice in thorough-bass. In recent years there has been keen interest in his concertos for strings, concerti grossi, oboe and trumpet concertos. Credited with being first Italian composer of oboe concertos and first to employ three movements in concertos (Opus 2). The popular Adagio for organ and strings in G minor owes very little to Albinoni, having been constructed from a manuscript fragment by the 20th century Italian musicologist, Remo Giazotto, whose copyright it is.

- The Oxford Dictionary of Music

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