HEINRICH IGNAZ FRANZ VON BIBER (1644-1704)

"The Rosary Sonatas"

I. The Five Joyful Mysteries

Sonata No. 1 for violin and basso continuo "The Annunciation"

1. Praeludium

2. Aria, variatio

3. [Finale]

Performed by Andrew Manze, violin
Richard Egarr, organ

*Biber's Rosary sonatas are amoung the most remarkable sets of violin pieces ever assembled. It was not widely known during the composer's lifetime, but a large part of Biber's present-day fame rests on this collection.

Only a single copy of these sixteen pieces survives, now in the Bavarian State Library, Munich. It is missing a title page, so the set has been assigned various dates, ranging from the early 1670s, when Biber arrived in Salzburg, to the mid-1680s. It has also been known by various names over the years: Rosary Sonatas, Mystery Sonatas, or Copper-Engraving Sonatas. This last derives from the small engravings at the head of each piece.

One of the things that makes these pieces unusual is the prevalence of scordatura; in fact, all of the sonatas require different tunings. The fifteen tunings approximately form a circle, from easy to difficult and back. At the start, for the "Annunciation", the violin is tuned normally. Through the five Joyful Mysteries the tunings become more advanced, though still quite conventional. For the Sorrowful Mysteies, Biber uses four unique tunings, extremely arduous for the violin from the point of view of tension and clashing vibrations within the instrument, but then for the "Crucifixion" he returns to one of the most common tunings, onle one note removed from the norm. The five Glorious Mysteries then explore the art of scordatura more boldly than in any other music. "The Resurrection" requires the two middle strings to be crossed over between the bridge and tailpiece, a forming a "cross". The ascension has four strings arranged in a simple arpeggio to give the violin a rasping edge. "The Descent of the Holy Spirit" divides the four strings into two pairs, far apart, and "the Assumption" and "the Coronation" return the violin to a more relaxe, consonant and therefore peaceful tuning. The Passacaglia completes the circle, with normal tuning.

"The Cross taught all wood to resound His name,
who bore the same.
His stretched sinews taught all strings, what key
Is best to celebrate this most high day."

- from "Easter", by George Herbert (1593-1633)

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