Weiss had the opportunity to meet Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig in 1739, with whom he played music several times.
Instruments
The lute used for this recording, made by Sixtus Rauwolf around 1590, is believed to be the oldest playable lute with its original soundboard.
Composer Biography
By 1744, Silvius Leopold Weiss was the highest-paid instrumentalist of the Dresden Hofkapelle and was considered the finest lutenist of his generation in Europe.
Composer Biography
Weiss was attacked by a visiting violinist named Petit, who bit his right thumb so badly that he was unable to play for several months.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The musical style of Weiss's lute compositions is a fusion of French, Italian, and German elements, including unbarred preludes, strong tonal harmony, and skillful harmonic progressions.
Composer Biography
Silvius Leopold Weiss, a lutenist, showed such natural talent that he played before Emperor Leopold I at the age of six or seven.
Recording & Production
The soundboard of the lute used in this recording was dated using dendrochronology, confirming it is original and made from a pine tree that grew between 1423 and 1560.
