In general the names of the virtuosos of the Baroque period that we know are Italian: Corelli, Torelli, Geminiani, Vivaldi, etc., But probably his greatest violinist was Germanic: Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704). The founding of the Brotherhood of the Rosary in Salzburg in 1676 made plausible in this context the composition of the 15 sonatas dedicated to the Mystery of the Rosary. Although not documented her membership of the composer, this time adding two names and central-Ignaz Franz, the names of the founders of the Jesuit movement (Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Javier).
Although the prayer to a guardian angel following the rosary in the Catholic devotional prayer, Passacaglia in G minor is arguably outside the ring (unlike the rest of the body of the violin plays solo and is tuned normally and can even be considered the hypothesis of recycling of an earlier work), preceded in the manuscript by an engraving of an angel holding by the hand of a child. Without trying to be dogmatic, but to add or show possibilities, it should be noted that in addition to music, Biber was a public authority in rhetoric, so that the work, though not strictly programmatic, can have a symbolic about hermeneutics, in which the ostinato might allegory with permanent and unchanging guide Angel, with the variations representing the child's vital games.
The choice of a passacaglia descending tetrachord and the subject indicates the deliberate use of the earlier formula of Baroque music: from the tonic to dominant in the minor mode (sol, F, E-flat, re) is presented as an ostinato static simplicity, which is repeated 64 times throughout the play: after the first thirty in the octave (which is treated as a bass line) in the next fifteen appears an octave above (While the counterpoint comes down to the bottom), after a pause, in the last twenty returns to the grave area. This pattern is traditionally associated with Italian passacaglia, but also the first line of the contemporary hymn "Einen Engel geben mir Gott" (God, grant me an angel). However, the overall structure of the work is divided into five groups (plus an introduction and a coda) monodic defined by the return of the ostinato. The excitement comes from the wrath of technical exploration, construction in sections alternating chords and arpeggios, the pervasiveness of dance, improvisational style that gradually increases intense rhythmic texture. The compositional sense and intuition violin ensure the maintenance of tension, and discovery of new possibilities alternating with a return to simple theme. Biber used in its development every possible conceivable technique in contemporary violin: tickets to double and triple rope, broken octaves, fast-paced up and down scales, arpeggio figures, with the bow breaks, positions as high as the seventh, including writing three voices. However, there is nothing superficial in the result, any athletic challenge for virtuosos, Biber places all its effects in the service of music, scoring both dramatic and spiritual. In conclusion, in its conception magneficiencia polyphonic, harmonic and contrapuntal exploration and progress in violin technique, can be considered the direct precursor of the Bach Chaconne.
After the early and heroic Max Rostal, Susanne Lautenbacher (VoxBox, 1962), without pause necessary to emphasize the dramatic moments, "and Eduard Melkus (DG Archiv, 1967)-vibrato out of style, tempo slightest which perhaps implies loss of identity ", the sound Maier Franzjosef acid (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, 1983) discovers the true dimension of this work, the pitch may not be a model of perfection, and perhaps even the monotone dynamic line is online with the current model baroque historicism, but is desolate sidewalks and breaks, and employs a joint staccato, sharp and cutting on a violin signed by Michael Achner 1746.
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meditative, soulful and introspective John Holloway (Virgin, 1990), elegant formal containment (cowardly?), And the regular tempo that comes in each repetition of ostinato motif, seems to lead only beauty in subtle final resolution. How said that lack the romantic " not know what", without which the music is not only a succession of sounds, and I find myself (horror) thinking about something else. The record reflects perfectly the atmosphere of the Swiss monastery where the recording was made, but it is too far on the violin, losing and blurring of detail.
Reinhardt Goebel (DG Archiv, 1991 ) said in an interview that this music affects the sexual plane (!) Maybe it on a first listen to the tempo (objectively vivo) seems to demand greater distress, but the relentless pace, the sense of interior tears, guilt, spurts. The expressive lyricism, poetic fantasy, strong contrasts and colors, the whole feeling dance and drama, emphasizes the interpretation rather than technique, and this is incredible, dizzying, not only for speed but for its velvet sound. The joint is light, flexible and varied phrasing perfectly punctuated, passionate, while abrupt chords clearly marked the end of each section. Crystal Acoustics, precise and polished study, veiled and delicious sound of the violin, picked up as close as you hear the wood groan of the box. At another level.
Discard Letzbor Gunar consecutive recordings (Arcana, 1996), Catherine Mackintosh (Chandos, 1997) at the controls of a violin Mariani dated 1670, and therefore strictly contemporary work and extracting a nice ring, but the vision is metronomic, almost industrial feel weaker version due to the Ronez Marianne (Winter & Winter, 1998), the dramatic reading of Walter Reiter (Brilliant, 1999) technically flawless, with an uneven sound; and Rüdiger Lotter (Oehms Classics, 2004) insecure intonation. However it should be noted that of Alice Pierot (Alpha, 2002) intimate, sensitive, and reflective, with its subtle friction on the strings, which give a sense of spontaneity, live performance of flapping wings.
can be considered to Pavlo Beznosiuk (Avie, 2003 ) the champion of serenity, avoiding dramatic contrasts and moderating the use of dynamic, looking for a bold and earnest humanity that tends to threaten the architectural structure (and unbreakable) of the work. Indeed, this calm can lead to in docility and pale, becoming criticized the lack of fantasy and continuous legato. Excellent technique (what great sixteenth note) on a German violin circa 1690 of extracting a soft and mellow sound, without vibrato. Before the passacaglia, the British actor Timothy West read a text on " The method of Saying the Rosary of Our Blessed Lady as It Was ordered by Pope Pius V and it is Said by the sodales of the rosary, in the Inglés-benedictin College of S. Gregories, at Douay, where resonance excess impairs their understanding.
The perfect pitch by Andrew Manze (Harmonia Mundi, 2003) supports a vision of inspiring devotional is geared towards more abstract and metaphorical aspects of music to his spiritual heart , rather than thoughtful or reflective, would say that contemplative, monastic and even liturgical. This austerity, temper, moderation, can be criticized as a methodical, academic, focusing on technical (Protestant) than in the lyricism (Catholic) of the work. For complete official the rite with an ascetic Amati, ca. 1700 to which sometimes leads to a shrill sound takes great closeness, spatial, and biting harmonics.
The characteristic feature of the reading of Monica Huggett (Gaudeamus, 2004 ) is the baffling inclusion of a rate itself (after the bar 91) which in my humble opinion is no place in a work as rational as this. However, it is recommended only version: chords have never sounded so transparently arpeggiated and air, its natural expresiva e inteligente, imaginativa y extrovertida en el detalle y color, e introspectiva en el acentuado acercamiento narrativo (concepto éste básico del barroco), la calmada diferenciación de las notas con mayor peso en la composición (en la conversación), el embeleso en la suavidad tímbrica, la optimista, secular, fluída ligereza de arco y su articulación aserrada, el amplio rango dinámico, la flexibilidad de tempi… Todo ello conjuga una de las versiones imprescindibles de la obra.
The emotional nature of the passionate reading of Riccardo Minasi (Arts, 2006) brings the joint victory tied, trills and accentuated dynamics, in short, the contrasts of all types (dynamic, rhythmic, dramatic). This narrative style of ornamental Mediterranean exuberance, the limit of their possibilities of sound (orchestral, coloristic, texturísticas) and expressive, full of drive, unlike every variation (pianissimo arriving at once to rescue him from the depths) and sometimes emphasizes the vibrato with a sensitive use of rubato without losing sight of the main lines of the building. Excellent recording, collecting and naturally proximity to the beautiful sound of Amati dated 1627.
