When Arcangelo Corelli published his twelve violin sonatas as Opus 5 on the first day of 1700, he set a benchmark that violinists have measured themselves against ever since. The collection became one of the most reprinted and imitated works of the entire Baroque era — effectively a school of violin playing bound between two covers. The Sonata No. 4 in F major belongs to the first half of the set, among the six “sonate da chiesa”, or “church sonatas”, where Corelli reaches for dignity and counterpoint rather than the dance.
A church sonata in five movements
The church sonata follows a simple but deeply satisfying logic: slow and fast movements in alternation, each throwing the next into relief. Across these five movements you move from a grave, singing Adagio into a bright, imitative Allegro, pause again for a Vivace and a second Adagio, then close with a decisive Allegro. It is music of proportion and poise — nothing hurried, nothing wasted, and all of it built on the warm, open sound of F major.
The art of the unwritten note
What the printed page shows is only half the story. In Corelli’s day a violinist was expected to *decorate* the slow movements — adding graces, passing notes and expressive turns that the composer deliberately left to the player’s taste. A celebrated Amsterdam edition, printed a decade or so later, even claimed to preserve the ornaments as Corelli himself performed them, and musicians have debated them happily ever since. Every reading of these Adagios is therefore a small act of authorship, which is part of what makes the music so rewarding to return to.
A guide to the five movements
1. Adagio — a broad, lyrical opening that invites ornament and sets the tone.
2. Allegro — lively and imitative, the lines chasing one another.
3. Vivace — lighter and more dancing in character.
4. Adagio — a moment of stillness before the finish.
5. Allegro Resoluto — a firm, spirited close, exactly as the marking promises.
Settle in, and let a little of the three centuries between us fall away. I hope you enjoy this performance of Corelli’s F major sonata.
