Biber: Violin Sonatas

Featuring

Plamena Nikitassova
Les Élémens
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber

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Composer's Artistic Vision

The title page of Biber's 1681 sonatas features his employer's family coat of arms, and the dedication uses elaborate wordplay to skillfully set the mood for the music.

Composition History

Biber's Eight Sonatas for Violin and Basso Continuo, published in 1681, were a deluxe printed edition, meticulously executed by Salzburg engraver Thomas Georg Högner, and were reprinted multiple times.

Performer Biography

Plamena Nikitassova, the violinist, founded the chamber music series 'Im Wandel der Zeit' in Basel in 2020 to present 18th and 19th-century compositions in their original stylistic and aesthetic context.

Instruments

The historical playing technique used on this recording requires an extremely short bow, which influences the sound and playing approach, especially for double stops and shifts.

Composer Biography

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, the composer, began his career in Salzburg with a sensational flight from his previous employer, the Prince Archbishop of Olmütz.

Compositional Technique

Biber's 1681 sonatas set new standards by achieving an unprecedented synthesis of high virtuosity, artistic substance, and compositional-technical skill.

Interpretation

Plamena Nikitassova, the violinist on this recording, uses a historical playing technique where the violin is held against the left side of the chest, not on the shoulder.