Weiss: Lute Sonatas, Vol. 11

Featuring

Robert Barto
Sylvius Leopold Weiss

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Compositional Technique

Weiss frequently used temporary modulations to remote keys, especially in his later fast movements, which would have had narrative significance for his audience.

Performer Biography

Robert Barto, the performer on this album, won first prize in the International Lute Competition in Toronto and the top instrumental soloist prize at the Musica Antiqua Competition in Bruges in 1984.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Weiss's music, though influenced by the mixed Italian/French style, is distinct from that of his contemporaries like Bach, Handel, and Telemann due to its individuality.

Composer Biography

Silvius Leopold Weiss, a Silesian lutenist, was an infant prodigy who performed for Emperor Leopold I at the age of seven.

Compositional Technique

Many of Weiss's allemandes and other movements feature descending sequences of suspensions, a device synonymous with 'lament' during the Baroque period.

Historical Context

At the end of the 17th century, the lute was highly popular in German-speaking regions, particularly in Vienna and Prague, contrasting with its decline at the French court.