Elf has put up his Christmas lights and now he’s ready for a bit of culture.
Derived from the Portuguese barroco, or “oddly shaped pearl,” the term “baroque” has been widely used since the nineteenth century to describe the period in Western European art music from about 1600 to 1750, one of the richest periods in music history, including of course, Bach and Handel. Christmas and Baroque music just seem to go together and usually at this time of year, before Covid struck, choral societies would be performing The Messiah, while chamber orchestras had the perfect excuse to perform candlelit concerts in lovely ancient churches.
Arcangelo Corelli, 17 February 1653 – 8 January 1713, was an Italian violinist and composer of the Baroque Era. With a name like that, surely destined to be something great and artistic. I first heard his Christmas Concerto when Classic FM radio station burst onto the scene in the early 1990’s. Enjoy the gentle opening movement and hang around as the strings burst into the lively second movement.
Times and Tides of a Beachwriter 