Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644–1704) was a Czech-Austrian composer an… Read Full Bio ↴Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644–1704) was a Czech-Austrian composer and violinist.
Biber was born on 12th August 1644 in Stráž pod Ralskem (Czechia). He was a violinist at the castle of Kromeriz and the Salzburg court, and In 1684 became Kapellmeister in Salzburg, where he died twenty years later on 3rd May 1704.
His works show a predilection for canonic use and harmonic diapason that pre-date the later Baroque works of Johann Pachelbel and Johann Sebastian Bach. He was known as a violin virtuoso and is best known for his violin works, many of which employ scordatura (unconventional tunings of the open strings).
The music of Biber has enjoyed a renaissance, in part, because of "The Rosary Sonatas". This set of fifteen sonatas is also known as "The Mystery Sonatas" (for key events in the lives of the Virgin Mary and Christ) and "The Copper-Engraving Sonatas" (for the engravings at the head of the sonatas). Each sonata employs a different tuning of the violin. This use of scordatura transforms the violin from the pleasures of the Five Joyful Mysteries (the Annunciation, etc.) to the trauma of the Five Sorrowful Mysteries (the Crucifixion, etc.) to ethereal nature of the Five Glorious Mysteries (the Resurrection, etc.). The reconfiguration of the violin is also symbolic. For example, the middle two strings of the violin are crossed for the "Resurrection" sonata.
Biber wrote choral and chamber music, concerti, operas, and a number of better-known pieces such as the "Nightwatchman" Serenade and "Harmonia Artificiosa". A work which is currently attributed to him (formerly it was attributed to Orazio Benevoli) is the Missa Salisburgensis, a polyphonic setting of the mass for fifty-three independent voices. Whether or not it is by Biber, it has more independent contrapuntal lines than any other piece of music from before the twentieth century.
Biber was born on 12th August 1644 in Stráž pod Ralskem (Czechia). He was a violinist at the castle of Kromeriz and the Salzburg court, and In 1684 became Kapellmeister in Salzburg, where he died twenty years later on 3rd May 1704.
His works show a predilection for canonic use and harmonic diapason that pre-date the later Baroque works of Johann Pachelbel and Johann Sebastian Bach. He was known as a violin virtuoso and is best known for his violin works, many of which employ scordatura (unconventional tunings of the open strings).
The music of Biber has enjoyed a renaissance, in part, because of "The Rosary Sonatas". This set of fifteen sonatas is also known as "The Mystery Sonatas" (for key events in the lives of the Virgin Mary and Christ) and "The Copper-Engraving Sonatas" (for the engravings at the head of the sonatas). Each sonata employs a different tuning of the violin. This use of scordatura transforms the violin from the pleasures of the Five Joyful Mysteries (the Annunciation, etc.) to the trauma of the Five Sorrowful Mysteries (the Crucifixion, etc.) to ethereal nature of the Five Glorious Mysteries (the Resurrection, etc.). The reconfiguration of the violin is also symbolic. For example, the middle two strings of the violin are crossed for the "Resurrection" sonata.
Biber wrote choral and chamber music, concerti, operas, and a number of better-known pieces such as the "Nightwatchman" Serenade and "Harmonia Artificiosa". A work which is currently attributed to him (formerly it was attributed to Orazio Benevoli) is the Missa Salisburgensis, a polyphonic setting of the mass for fifty-three independent voices. Whether or not it is by Biber, it has more independent contrapuntal lines than any other piece of music from before the twentieth century.
Courante
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber Lyrics
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Patrick
Here are the titles of the Mysteries, which might be of interest to help people understand what they are hearing. I think I can give the starts of the main groups of mysteries, judging by the music, but it would be nice to have the individual track timings if possible?:
The Joyful Mysteries:
I The Annunciation
II The Visitation
III The Nativity
IV The Presentation
V The Finding in the Temple
The Sorrowful Mysteries 0:39:43:
VI The Agony in the Garden
VII The Scourging at the Pillar
VIII The Crowning with Thorns
IX The Carrying of the Cross
X The Crucifixion
The Glorious Mysteries 1:25:07:
XI The Resurrection
XII The Ascension
XIII Pentecost
XIV The Assumption
XV The Coronation
Bertrand Wicquart
La plus sensible des interprétations. Une immense violoniste.
Patrick
Here are the titles of the Mysteries, which might be of interest to help people understand what they are hearing. I think I can give the starts of the main groups of mysteries, judging by the music, but it would be nice to have the individual track timings if possible?:
The Joyful Mysteries:
I The Annunciation
II The Visitation
III The Nativity
IV The Presentation
V The Finding in the Temple
The Sorrowful Mysteries 0:39:43:
VI The Agony in the Garden
VII The Scourging at the Pillar
VIII The Crowning with Thorns
IX The Carrying of the Cross
X The Crucifixion
The Glorious Mysteries 1:25:07:
XI The Resurrection
XII The Ascension
XIII Pentecost
XIV The Assumption
XV The Coronation
Víctor Pedreira Crespo
Delicioso !
Un verdadero placer escucharlo.
hank dusommeil
You made my day! So beautiful
Jose Christ
What a great music! What a great composer! And what a wonderful performance! I think Madame Helene Schmidt is one of the greatest Barock-violinists in this world. I think Heinrich Biber will be very satisfied in hearing his music in his heavently other world!
Cyrus The Great
Grazie per questa meraviglia!
Jorge Urzua Urzua
Muy agradecido Alberto Sosa por esta hermosa grabación. A real pleasure to meet this recording of Biber The Rosary Sonatas and the Passacaglia, that I love. So did JS Bach who admired Biber and recognized in his Giaccone the imprint of Biber. An additional and unexpected pleasure to hear the rendering by Hélène Schmitt, who is an active French baroque violinist of singular accomplishment in capturing the essence and beauty of the baroque violin playing, so different from the modern technique. She was able to give life and texture to the works of Frank Ignaz von Biber. I look forward to hearing Hélène playing the sonatas and partitas of the great JSB.
Guillermo Pisano
Disculpe, erré de siglo.
Guillermo Pisano
Biber tenía 6 años cuando JSBach murió. Como podía conocer Biber y tener su influencia?
Dejan Stevanic
Very nice performance indeed. Thank you.