Erlebach was deeply concerned with expressing emotion in his music, as shown by his precise performance indications like 'Adagio assai, con affetto' for 'An Jammer und Beschwerlichkeit'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Erlebach's catalogue of court music from 1700 reveals his specific instrumentation choices, such as giving an essential role to the viola da gamba and sometimes using only two theorbos for continuo.
Compositional Technique
Erlebach's sonatas blend Italian and French styles, typical of German music of the period, and he sometimes used 'scordatura' (unusual tuning) for the violin to achieve unique sounds.
Composer Biography
Philipp Heinrich Erlebach, the composer, was active at the court of the counts of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt from at least 1679 until his death in 1714, serving as Capelldirector and later Capellmeister.
Historical Context
The texts for Erlebach's arias often depict humanity at the mercy of unpredictable fate, using metaphors like 'blood comets' to reflect the 17th-century fear of these celestial events as omens.
Instruments
The court where Erlebach worked had a diverse collection of 46 instruments, including two 'violini piccoli' (small violins) and a double harp, which inspired the performers on this album to use a double harp for the continuo.
Composition History
A 1735 fire at the castle destroyed almost all of Erlebach's scores, including his own music collection, leaving only a few printed works and a march from 120 attested instrumental pieces.
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