Lovers and Mourners: Variations and Sonatas from 17th-Century Germany

Featuring

Dorian Komanoff Bandy
Hank Knox
Elinor Frey
Johannes Schenck
Johann Jakob Walther
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber

Johann Georg Pisendel
Dietrich Becker

Did you know?

1/6

Recording & Production

This recording was made possible thanks to an SSHRC Insight Development Grant.

Compositional Technique

The German composers on this album, including Johann Jakob Walther and Heinrich Biber, combined the Italian stylus phantasticus with the organizing logic of variation sets.

Historical Context

The 17th century, especially in Italy, saw much virtuoso instrumental music in the stylus phantasticus, a free-flowing and improvisational idiom showcasing technical and expressive command.

Recording & Production

The recording sessions for this album took place in Mirabel, Quebec, at Église de Saint-Augustin, from June 22-24, 2022.

Composer's Artistic Vision

For 17th-century German composer-performers, variations were a vehicle for performers to show off and for composers to display ingenuity, akin to alchemy transforming base metal into riches.

Compositional Technique

The violin sonatas of Johann Jakob Walther (1650-1717) and Heinrich Biber (1644-1704) represent an early peak in writing for the instrument, combining technical demands with compositional ingenuity.