Finger: The complete music for viola da gamba solo

Featuring

Petr Wagner
Jan Čižmář
Ensemble Tourbillon
Gottfried Finger

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Compositional Technique

Gottfried Finger frequently used 'scordatura,' a deliberate retuning of the viola da gamba's open strings to form a tonic triad, which was common in his native Moravia.

Composer Biography

Gottfried Finger, a virtuoso viola da gamba player and composer, was born in Olomouc, Moravia (modern-day Czech Republic) around 1660.

Compositional Technique

Scordatura, a special tuning used by Gottfried Finger, not only gave the viola da gamba a unique resonance but also allowed for sound combinations otherwise impossible for the performer.

Composer Biography

Gottfried Finger's association with the viola da gamba seems to have ended in 1701 when he left London, selling his music collection and instruments, including his 'Jay viol,' before returning to the Continent.

Composer Biography

Beyond the viola da gamba, Gottfried Finger was known to play a wide array of instruments, including violin, lute, recorder, bassoon, baryton, and cello.

Composition History

Gottfried Finger's Opus 1, a collection of sonatas for 3-4 stringed instruments, was dedicated to King James II and intended for his Catholic Chapel Royal in London.

Compositional Technique

Gottfried Finger's music for the viola da gamba often bridges his roles as a violist and a violinist, showing the influence of Heinrich Biber, a Central European composer.