Arcangelo Corelli

Corelli, Arcangelo (1653–1713), Italian composer. During Corelli's lifetime the violin, together with the viola and cello, gradually replaced the older stringed instruments called viols. He did much to encourage this change by his own brilliance as a violinist and by his many compositions for the new stringed instruments. He was also a key figure in the development of the concerto grosso as an important new form of orchestral music.