Biber's 15 Mystery Sonatas (or "Rosary" Sonatas, as they are sometimes called) date from the mid 1670s. They represent an important milestone in the development of the sonata, for not only do 14 of these works require different scordatura tunings, thereby extending the polyphonic range of the violin, but the set also contains a programmatic element which must then have been something of a novelty. The sonatas are written for solo violin with basso continuo, and the sequence ends with a Passacaglia (Sonata No. 16) for unaccompanied violin... gramophone.net
CD1:
01. Sonata I d-moll: Praeludium 02:37
02. Sonata I d-moll: Arai allegro - Varatio 02:39
03. Sonata I d-moll: Finale 01:07
04. Sonata II A-dur: Sonata - Presto 02:21
05. Sonata II A-dur: Allemande 02:52
06. Sonata II A-dur: Presto 01:04
07. Sonata III h-moll: Sonata - Presto 01:52
08. Sonata III h-moll: Courante - Double 04:50
09. Sonata III h-moll: Adagio 01:58
10. Sonata IV d-moll: Ciacona 07:05
11. Sonata V A-dur: Praeludium - Presto 01:15
12. Sonata V A-dur: Allemande 02:10
13. Sonata V A-dur: Gigue 02:36
14. Sonata V A-dur: Sarabande - Double 03:39
15. Sonata VI c-moll: Lamento - Adagio 02:40
16. Sonata VI c-moll: Presto - Adagio 05:27
17. Sonata VI c-moll: Adagio 01:45
18. Sonata VII F-dur: Allemande - Variatio 04:02
19. Sonata VII F-dur: Sarabande- Variatio 06:28
20. Sonata VIII B-dur: Sonata: Adagio - Presto 03:15
21. Sonata VIII B-dur: Gigue - Double 1 (Presto) - Double 2 05:15
22. Sonata IX a-moll: Sonata 02:35
23. Sonata IX a-moll: Courante - Double 02:21
24. Sonata IX a-moll: Finale 01:15
CD2:
01. Sonata X g-moll: Praeludium 01:26
02. Sonata X g-moll: Aria - Variatio 08:39
03. Sonata XI G-dur: Sonata - "Surrexit Christus hodie" 07:22
04. Sonata XI G-dur: Adagio 01:42
05. Sonata XII C-dur: Intrada 00:29
06. Sonata XII C-dur: Aria Tubicinum 01:22
07. Sonata XII C-dur: Allemande 02:20
08. Sonata XII C-dur: Courante - Double 04:27
09. Sonata XIII d-moll: Sonata 03:21
10. Sonata XIII d-moll: Gavotte 02:25
11. Sonata XIII d-moll: Gigue 01:18
12. Sonata XIII d-moll: Sarabande 01:58
13. Sonata XIV D-dur: Praeludium 02:21
14. Sonata XIV D-dur: Aria 05:15
15. Sonata XIV D-dur: Gigue 02:39
16. Sonata XV C-dur: Sonata 01:33
17. Sonata XV C-dur: Aria (mit 3 Variationen) 06:55
18. Sonata XV C-dur: Canzone 02:07
19. Sonata XV C-dur: Sarabande 03:21
20. Sonata XVI g-moll: Passacaglia - Violine Solo 10:33
Performers:
Franzjosef Maier, violin
Franz Lehrndorfer, organ
Konrad Junghänel, theorbo
Max Engel, cello/viola da gamba
...Franzjosef Maier, who is probably best known to UK record collectors as the leader of the Collegium Aureum orchestra, is comfortably a match for both his competitors in technical matters, yet he never seems to reach the heart of this subtle and often deeply affecting music. It is, I feel sure, partly a question of temperament and there is little doubt in my mind that Maier is more attuned to classical and Biedermeier repertory than to the conventions and discipline of the baroque. Many passages in these sonatas come alive only when their nuance of colour is fully revealed...