Sonata in e, Op. 2/4

Corelli’s sets of trio sonatas alternate between two prevailing systems or styles of the era: sonate da chiesa or church sonatas (Opp. 1 and 3), which typically include four movements, slow-fast-slow-fast; and the sonate da camera or chamber sonatas (Opp. 2 and 4), which are made up of a series of popular dances. Nominally, at least, the distinction seeks to keep secular dance music out of religious spaces, but the rule was not strictly observed. For instance, the Sonata in E Minor, Op. 2 No. 4, heard tonight, counts as a chamber sonata. However, the abstract movements titled Preludio and Adagio overshadow the two shorter dances (Allemanda and Giga). Furthermore, allemandes enjoyed such a wide variety of styles that the dance, as a whole, resists generalization. This leaves the Giga as the only “characteristic” dance in what purports to be a dance suite! Corelli’s sonata demonstrates the full spectrum between musical dances to be danced and those to be merely heard.

This sonata opens with a triple-meter prelude in bel canto style, one of the largest first movements among all of Corelli’s chamber works. The Allemanda shows his penchant for a particular melodic dissonance, the 7-6 suspension. The B-minor Adagio is built around points of imitation between the two violins, ending with a half-cadence segue to the final Giga. Gigues became extremely popular at the same time Corelli reached musical maturity. They were often tuneful, had regular phrase structure, and were readily danceable. This Giga attains a closer equality between first and second violins than was typical for the day.

(c) Jason Stell