Biagio Marini, a pre-eminent violinist, was among the first Italian composers to systematically devote himself to instrumental music, publishing his first opus, Affetti musicali, in 1617.
Composer Biography
Johann Heinrich Schmelzer, a musician at the Imperial Court of Vienna, rose from violinist to musical director and was the first composer to publish violin sonatas in German-speaking Europe.
Historical Context
In the late 16th and throughout the 17th century, Italy was the leading musical center in Europe, where a radical change in musical style laid the foundation for the Baroque period.
Compositional Technique
Schmelzer's Sonatae unarum fidium achieved an impressive synthesis of technically demanding virtuosity and cantabile (singing) melody, even more so than his Italian contemporaries.
Historical Context
Many instrumentalists from northern lands traveled across the Alps to Italy to study new musical trends, leading to the widespread imitation of the influential Italian instrumental style across Europe.
Performer Biography
Georg Kallweit, the violinist, is a highly sought-after specialist in early music, serving as concertmaster of the Akademie für Alte Musik in Berlin and collaborating with various European baroque and modern orchestras.
Compositional Technique
Marini's Op. 8 collection, published in 1629, emphasized great freedom of interpretation and an experimental character, including 'Works for every kind of instrument, with further remarkable and modern inventions'.
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