Composed: 1712
Premiered: 1714, Amsterdam

Corelli was regarded by his contemporaries and the succeeding generations as the fountainhead of the concerto style. While most music in the 18th century tended to be short-lived, Corelli’s concerti continued to be played, copied, rearranged, and imitated for many years after his death. Unlike most composers of his era, who usually considered operas their most important works, Corelli concentrated almost exclusively on instrumental music. He was a noted violinist, mainly in Rome, at a time when violin technique was advancing very rapidly. After he retired from public life in 1708, Corelli spent his last years composing and revising concerti and sonatas. The 12 concerti grossi comprising his Opus 6 are his only works in this form, but they were enormously influential. They undoubtedly represent the experience of a lifetime of study of string technique. They were published in Amsterdam the year after Corelli died. Music publishing and the technique of music engraving were making important advances at that time, and Amsterdam was the centre of this craft.