The Best of Arcangelo Corelli: Viola Book

Paul Paradise's edition does what few transcriptions manage: it preserves the musical integrity of Corelli's conception while genuinely expanding what string quartets and smaller orchestras can access. The thoughtful bowing and fingering choices reflect deep understanding of both original performance practice and modern student needs. This collection gives directors eight masterworks of undeniable pedagogical and artistic merit without requiring the full concertato forces Corelli originally scored for.

These concerti radiate the courtly elegance and harmonic sophistication that made Corelli's music the gold standard of his era. Whether you're in the brisk opening ritornello of a major-key concerto or the hushed, introspective passages of the G minor Christmas concerto, the writing unfolds with architectural inevitability and genuine lyrical warmth. There's a purity to Corelli's voice that rewards careful listening and patient ensemble work.

String quartets and small-to-medium string orchestras at the intermediate-advanced level will find these arrangements both musically substantial and practically manageable. Violists benefit especially from writing that honors the alto voice without relegating it to pure accompaniment. Directors seeking to build their students' command of Baroque style and ensemble discipline will find eight exceptional teaching scores in this single book.

• Balance the concertino voices with the full viola section by listening carefully to whether you are doubling the ripieno or carrying a solo line in a given section; adjust your dynamic and articulation accordingly.
• Keep your intonation scrupulously clean in the slower movements where harmonic progressions are exposed; Baroque music reveals careless tuning immediately.
• Observe the edited bowings as guides for achieving the appropriate articulation style, but allow them to breathe; don't mechanically repeat each down-bow and up-bow without considering phrase shape.
• Lock rhythmically with the first violin and cello parts during fast passages; the concertino conversations drive the harmonic and rhythmic momentum your part must match.

Program these as the centerpiece of a Baroque chamber concert, pairing them with works by Corelli's contemporaries or students to show the lineage of the concerto grosso. A single concerto works beautifully as both a concert opener and a disciplinary study; use the Christmas concerto as a winter or seasonal program anchor. Smaller ensembles can feature individual concerti in recital contexts where the viola book allows meaningful participation from all players.

• Reading baroque articulation and style conventions
• Balancing concertino and ripieno textures within an ensemble
• Intonation clarity in slow harmonic progressions
• Rhythmic precision and alignment across multiple string voices
• Historical awareness of the concerto grosso form and its development