Question: Which instrument was the pre-eminent one in the five books of sonatas and the twelve "concerti grossi" published by Benjamin Cooke?

Context articles: Concerti grossi, Op. 6 (Handel)
Charles Avison
Twelve concerti grossi, Op. 6 (Corelli)
Christmas Concerto (Corelli)
Benjamin Cooke
Concerto grosso
Arcangelo Corelli
List of compositions by George Frideric Handel
Clarinet concerto
Concerti Grossi, Op. 3 (Handel)

The Concerti Grossi, Op. 6, or Twelve Grand Concertos, HWV 319–330, are 12 concerti grossi by George Frideric Handel for a concertino trio of two violins and violoncello and a ripieno four-part string orchestra with harpsichord continuo.
 First published by subscription in London by John Walsh in 1739, in the second edition of 1741 they became Handel's Opus 6.
 Taking the older concerto da chiesa and concerto da camera of Arcangelo Corelli as models, rather than the later three-movement Venetian concerto of Antonio Vivaldi favoured by Johann Sebastian Bach, they were written to be played during performances of Handel's oratorios and odes.
 Despite the conventional model, Handel incorporated in the movements the full range of his compositional styles, including trio sonatas, operatic arias, French overtures, Italian sinfonias, airs, fugues, themes and variations and a variety of dances.
 The concertos were largely composed of new material: they are amongst the finest examples in the genre of baroque concerto grosso.
Charles Avison ( ; 16 February 1709 (baptised)9 or 10 May 1770) was an English composer during the Baroque and Classical periods.
 He was a church organist at St John The Baptist Church in Newcastle and at St. Nicholas's Church (later Newcastle Cathedral).
 He is most known for his "12 Concerti Grossi after Scarlatti" and his "Essay on Musical Expression", the first music criticism published in English.
 He composed in a transitional style that alternated between Baroque and Classical idioms.
Twelve concerti grossi, Op.
 6, is a collection of twelve concerti written by Arcangelo Corelli, arranged for publication in 1714.
 These are some of the finest examples of the baroque-style concerti grossi, that is, concertos for a concertino group, in these cases of a 1st violin, a 2nd violin and a cello, and a ripieno group of 1st violins, 2nd violins, violas, cellos and continuo.
 They were the model for the later publication in London, in 1739, of Handel's own collection of twelve Opus 6 "Concerti Grossi".
Concerto grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 8 by Arcangelo Corelli, known commonly as the Christmas Concerto, was commissioned by Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni and published posthumously in 1714 as part of Corelli's "Twelve concerti grossi, Op. 6".
 The concerto bears the inscription "Fatto per la notte di Natale " (made for the night of Christmas).
 Its composition date is uncertain, but there is a record of Corelli having performed a Christmas concerto in 1690 for the enjoyment of his new patron.
Cooke was born in London and named after his father, also Benjamin Cooke, a music publisher based in Covent Garden (active from 1726 to 1743), whose production included a seminal edition of the collected works of Arcangelo Corelli in study scores comprising all five books of sonatas and the twelve "concerti grossi".
The concerto grosso (] ; Italian for "big concert(o)", plural "concerti grossi" ] ) is a form of baroque music in which the musical material is passed between a small group of soloists (the "concertino") and full orchestra (the "ripieno" or "concerto grosso").
 This is in contrast to the solo concerto which features a single solo instrument with the melody line, accompanied by the orchestra.
Arcangelo Corelli ( ; 17 February 1653 – 8 January 1713) was an Italian violinist and composer of the Baroque era.
 His music was key in the development of the modern genres of sonata and concerto, in establishing the preeminence of the violin, and as the first coalescing of modern tonality and functional harmony.
George Frideric Handel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German–English Baroque composer who is famous for his operas, oratorios and concerti grossi.
 Handel's compositions include 42 operas; 29 oratorios; more than 120 cantatas, trios and duets; numerous arias; chamber music; a large number of ecumenical pieces; odes and serenatas; and 16 organ concerti.
 His oratorio "Messiah", with its "Hallelujah" chorus, is among the most famous Baroque works and is a popular choice for performances during the Christmas season.
 Among Handel's best-known instrumental works are the Concerti Grossi Opus 3 and 6; "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale", in which birds are heard calling during passages played in different keys representing the vocal ranges of two birds; and his 16 keyboard suites, especially "The Harmonious Blacksmith".
A clarinet concerto is a concerto for clarinet; that is, a musical composition for solo clarinet together with a large ensemble (such as an orchestra or concert band).
 Albert Rice has identified a work by Giuseppe Antonio Paganelli as possibly the earliest known concerto for solo clarinet; its score appears to be titled "Concerto per Clareto" and may date from 1733.
 It may, however, be intended for soprano chalumeau.
 There are earlier concerti grossi with concertino clarinet parts including two by Johann Valentin Rathgeber, published in 1728.
The Concerti Grossi, Op. 3, HWV 312–317, are six concerti grossi by George Frideric Handel compiled into a set and published by John Walsh in 1734.
 Musicologists now agree that Handel had no initial knowledge of the publishing.
 Instead, Walsh, seeking to take advantage of the commercial success of Corelli's Opus 6 Concerti Grossi, simply combined several of Handel's already existing works and grouped them into six "concertos".