Corelli and the Violin Revolution

Arcangelo Corelli never became famous by accident. He walked into Rome in the

1670s with a violin and a plan, and within years, every powerful patron

in the city wanted him. Queen Christina of Sweden hired him. Cardinal Ottoboni made

him musical director. But here's what most people miss. Corelli wasn't just a virtuoso performer,

he was building something bigger. While other violinists chased applause, he was systematically

teaching a generation of students who would spread his technique across Europe. He composed sonatas

and concerti grossi that became the blueprint every composer studied for decades. When he died

in 1713, he was buried in the Pantheon next to Raphael. Think about that.