Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber - Just Biber (Rachel Podger; Brecon Baroque)

Information

Composer: Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber

• Violin Sonata No. 5 in E Minor, C. 142
• Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Major, C. 138
• Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, C. 139
• Violin Sonata violino solo representativa in A Major, C. 146
• Violin Sonata No. 6 in C Minor, C. 143
• Violin Sonata No. 3 in F Major, C. 140

Rachel Podger, violin

Brecon Baroque

Date: 2025

Label: Channel Classics

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Following up her critically acclaimed recording of Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber's Rosary Sonatas, violinist and musical director Rachel Podger leads Brecon Baroque on Just Biber, an album of Sonatas from Biber's 1681 collection Sonatæ Violino Solo and his theatrical Sonata Representivo. These works are extremely virtuosic with extensive multiple stopping and dazzling passages of stylus fantasticus. In Biber’s time, harmony was something cosmic, vibrating in a God-given resonance between human, instrumental and celestial bodies. Dedicated to Archbishop Maximilian Gandolf, the sonatas were not only designed to delight, but also potentially to balm and heal; Biber described the sonatas as a kind of prayer for the Archbishop’s longevity and good health.

Rachel Podger (b. 1968) is a renowned Baroque and Classical violinist, celebrated for her artistry and leadership in early music. She is the founder and Artistic Director of Brecon Baroque and its festival, and Principal Guest Director of Tafelmusik. Recognized with major accolades—including the Royal Academy of Music/Kohn Foundation Bach Prize and BBC Music Magazine’s Recording of the Year 2023—she is also a passionate educator, holding key teaching positions in the UK and working with Juilliard. Her acclaimed recordings, including Tutta Sola and Just Biber, highlight her creative programming and ongoing global influence in early music.

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