As both a composer and a performer, Corelli was the first to realize and develop the full potential of the violin. His outstanding achievement as a composer was the creation of the concerto grosso, a form in which a group of solo instruments was contrasted with a string orchestra. The concerto grosso was the forerunner of the concerto, one of the most popular of all musical forms. As a performer, Corelli developed the modern technique of bowing and was among the first violinists to use chords and double stops.
Corelli spent most of his life in Rome as a successful violinist and teacher. Relatively few compositions have been definitely attributed to him. His works consist of five books of sonatas for string instruments and one book of concerti grossi. His best-known sonata is La Follia, a set of variations for the violin.
