Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber: Rosary Sonatas (Rosenkranzonaten)

Featuring

Leila Schayegh
Daniele Caminiti
Brigitte Gasser
Federico Abraham
Cristiano Gaudio
Alberto Gaspardo

La Centifolia
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber

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Historical Context

The Rosary Sonatas by Biber emerged in Salzburg, a city ruled by Jesuit Archbishop and Cardinal Count von Kuenburg, who used Rosary Brotherhoods to strengthen Catholicism during the Counter-Reformation.

Compositional Technique

Biber notated the scordatura sonatas using a fingering system as if the violin were tuned traditionally, meaning the player uses normal fingerings but different pitches result from the altered tuning.

Compositional Technique

For each of the fifteen Rosary Sonatas, Biber requires the violin to be tuned differently, a technique known as scordatura, which was unusual for its conceptual depth and consistency.

Composition History

The precise composition date of Biber's Rosary Sonatas was uncertain for many years due to the absence of a title page, but a 1678 pamphlet with matching engravings helped narrow it down.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Biber channels the deep religiosity of his time into powerful musical imagery through programmatic music, with the score imbued with both visible and audible symbolism.

Composer Biography

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, the composer, was ennobled by Emperor Leopold I in 1690, receiving the title 'Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber von Bibern'.

Instruments

Jakobus Stainer, a violin maker personally known to Biber, was considered the most highly regarded of his time, with his violins prized for their bright, silvery tone rich in overtones, unlike the darker Italian instruments.