BIBER: Mystery Sonatas - Complete Violin Sonatas; Igor Ruhadze, Ensemble Violini Capricciosi (5CD)

Biber Mystery Sonatas - Complete Violin Sonatas

CD1 65’47
The Mystery (Rosenkranz) Sonatas
The Joyful Mysteries
1 No.1 The Annunciation in D minor senza scordatura 6’44
Praeludium. Variatio – Aria allegro – Variatio. Adagio. Finale
2 No.2 Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth in A scordatura a–e’–a’–e’’ 5’09
Sonata. Presto. Allemande. Presto
3 No.3 The Nativity in B minor scordatura b–f sharp’–b’–d’’ 7’25
Sonata – Presto. Courente – Double. Adagio
4 No.4 The Presentation of the Infant Jesus in the Temple 7’37
in D minor scordatura a–d’–a’–d’’
Ciacona – Adagio piano – Presto – Adagio
5 No.5 Child Jesus in the Temple in A scordatura a–e’–a’–c sharp’’ 6’23
Praeludium – Presto. Allemande. Gigue. Sarabande – Double
The Sorrowful Mysteries
6 No.6 The Agony in the Garden in C minor scordatura a flat–e flat’–g’–d’’ 8’25
Lamento – Adagio – Presto. Aria – Adagio – Adagio
7 No.7 The Scourging of Jesus in F scordatura c’–f’–a’–c’’ 8’59
Allemande – Variatio. Sarabande – Variatio
8 No.8 The Crowning of Jesus with Thorns in B flat scordatura d’–f’–b flat’’–d’’ 6’39
Sonata. Adagio – Presto – Adagio. Gigue – Double. Presto – Double II
9 No.9 Jesus Carries His Cross in A minor scordatura c’–e’–a’–e’’ 8’20
Sonata. Courente – Double. Finale
Total time 65’47

CD2
1 No.10 The Crucifixion in G minor scordatura g–d’–a’–d’’ 8’55
Praeludium. Aria – Variatio – Adagio
The Glorious Mysteries
2 No.11 The Resurrection in G scordatura g–g’ X d’–d’’ 7’19
Sonata. Surrexit Christus hodie. Adagio
3 No.12 The Ascension in C scordatura c’–e’–g’–c’’ 7’46
Intrada. Aria tubicinum. Allemande. Courente – Double
4 No.13 The Descent of the Holy Ghost in D minor scordatura a–e’–c sharp’–e’’ 7’31
Sonata. Gavotte. Gigue. Sarabande
5 No.14 The Assumption of Mary in D scordatura a–e’–a’–d’’ 9’20
[Praeludium] – Grave – Adagio. Aria – Aria – Gigue
6 No.15 The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary in C scordatura g–c’–g’–d’’ 11’48
[Without tempo indication]. Aria – Canzone. Sarabande
7 No.16 The Guardian Angel Passacaglia in G minor for solo violin senza scordatura 9’03
Passacaglia – Adagio – Allegro – Adagio – [Allegro]
Scordatura relates to the retuning of the violin strings (normally tuned to g–d’–a’–e’’)
stipulated by the composer.
Total time 61’48

CD3
Sonatas for solo violin & b.c. (Salzburg, 1681)
1 Sonata No.1 in A 10’45
[Praeludium]. Adagio – [Presto] – Adagio. Presto. Variatio – Presto. Finale: Presto
2 Sonata No.2 in D 8’52
[Praeludium]. Aria – Variatio. Finale
3 Sonata No.3 in F 12’42
[Praeludium]. Adagio – Presto. Aria – Variatio. Variatio
4 Sonata No.4 in D scordatura a–e’–a’–d’’ 11’24
[Sonata]. Presto. Gigue – Double – Double II. Adagio – [Presto] – Adagio
Aria – Variatio. Finale: Presto
5 Sonata No.5 in E minor 11’25
[Praeludium] – Adagio. Variatio: Allegro – Adagio – Presto – Adagio – Presto.
Aria – Variatio
Total time 55’11
CD4
1 Sonata No.6 in C minor partial scordatura g–d’–a’–d’’ 13’51
[Praeludium]. Passacaglia. [Praeludium]. Gavotte. Adagio. Allegro. Adagio
2 Sonata No.7 in G 13’05
[Sonata]. Aria. Adagio. Ciacona
3 Sonata No.8 in A 11’33
[Sonata]. Aria. Sarabanda. Allegro. Finale: Adagio – Allegro
4 Sonata in A (Archiepiscopal Archives, Kromeˇrˇízˇ, IV/22) 11’32
Adagio. Presto. [Praeludium]. Adagio – [Presto] – Adagio – [Presto] – [Adagio] – Presto.
Aria – Variatio
Total time 50’04

CD5
Violin Sonatas
Minoritenkonvent, Vienna, Ms 726
1 Sonata in C minor 10’14
[Praeludium]. Passacaglia: Adagissimo
2 Sonata in A ‘La pastorella’ 6’17
3 Fantasia in D scordatura a–e’–a’–d’’ 6’40
[Sonata]. Presto. Gigue – Variatio. Menuet
4 Sonata in E 16’31
5 Sonata representativa in A (1669) 12’71
Allegro. Nachtigal – CuCu – Fresch – Die Henne – Der Hann – Presto – Die Wachtel –
Die Katz – Musgetier Mars – Allemande
Total time 52’03

Ensemble Violini Capricciosi
Igor Ruhadze Baroque violin
(Carlo Tononi, Bologna, c.1700)
(Hendrik Jacobs, Amsterdam, 1693, NMF) (Mystery Sonatas Nos. 2, 4, 5, 9, 12, 13)
(David Tecchler, Rome, 1706, NMF) (Mystery Sonatas Nos. 3, 7, 8, 11)
Basso continuo
Vaughan Schlepp harpsichord (Joop Klinkhamer, after Christian Zell)
Felicity Goodwin organ (Gerrit Klop, Garderen, 1992)
Nika Zlataric Baroque cello (Anonymous English, c.1800) (Mystery Sonata No.12; Sonata representativa)
Regina Albanez theorbo (Richard Berg, after Matteo Sellas, 1996) (Mystery Sonata No.12; Sonata representativa)
Recording: 15–17 February, 1, 15, 28 & 29 April, 22, 23 & 28 June and 8 July 2016, Westvestkerk, Schiedam, The Netherlands