Biber: Violin Sonata No. 5 in E Minor, Elizabeth Blumenstock & Voices of Music, 4K UHD video
The Sonata in E Minor of Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber, performed by Voices of Music: Elizabeth Blumenstock, baroque violin; William Skeen, viola da gamba, David Tayler, archlute & Hanneke van Proosdij, harpsichord. Live, 4K ultra high definition video from the Voices of Music “La Bella più Bella“ concert, January 30, 2016. For this performance, a new edition was made from the original manuscript, with the correct bass part.
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Q. Why is the pitch lower, or higher?
A. Early Music performance uses many different pitches, and these pitches create different tone colors on the instruments. See
In 1681, Biber engraved and published in Salzburg a set of violin sonatas that extended the compositional limits of the violin. The sonata No. 5 in E Minor (C. 142) uses a combination of variation technique and double and triple stops alternating with free passagework to create complex textures and affects. A brilliant work from the one of the finest composers writing at the end of the 17th century.
For this performance, a new edition was prepared using the original 1681 manuscript. Voices of Music is creating a worldwide digital library of music videos, recordings and editions, free for anyone in the world. To support this vital project, which will enable generations of people all around the world to enjoy Classical music, both now and in the future, please consider a tax-deductible donation or sponsor a recording
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The players and their instruments
Voices of Music
Hanneke van Proosdij & David Tayler, directors
Elizabeth Blumenstock, baroque violin by Andrea Guarneri, Cremona, 1660
(courtesy Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra Period Instrument Trust)
William Skeen, viola da gamba by John Pringle, North Carolina, 2001; after William Addison, London, c1670
David Tayler, archlute by Andreas von Holst, Munich, 2012, after Tieffenbrucker, c1610
Hanneke van Proosdij, Italian single manual harpsichord by Johannes Klinkhamer,
Amsterdam, 2000, after Cristofori, Florence, c1725
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