Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber - Rosary Sonatas (Leila Schayegh; La Centifolia)

Information

Composer: Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber

• Rosary Sonata No. 1 in D Minor "Mariæ Verkündigung"
• Rosary Sonata No. 2 in A Major "Mariæ Heimsuchung"
• Rosary Sonata No. 3 in B Minor "Christi Geburt"
• Rosary Sonata No. 4 in D Minor "Darstellung im Tempel"
• Rosary Sonata No. 5 in A Major "Auffindung im Tempel"
• Rosary Sonata No. 6 in C Minor "Christus am Ölberg (Der Blutschweiß)"
• Rosary Sonata No. 7 in F Major "Geißelung Christi"
• Rosary Sonata No. 8 in B-Flat Major "Dornenkrönung"
• Rosary Sonata No. 9 in A Minor "Kreuztragung"
• Rosary Sonata No. 10 in G Minor "Kreuzigung"
• Rosary Sonata No. 11 in G Major "Auferstehung"
• Rosary Sonata No. 12 in C Major "Christi Himmelfahrt"
• Rosary Sonata No. 13 in D Minor "Assendung ds Hl. Geistes"
• Rosary Sonata No. 14 in D Major "Mariæ Himmelfahrt"
• Rosary Sonata No. 15 in C Major "Mariæ Krönung"
• Rosary Sonata No. 16 in G Minor "Der Schutzengel"

Leila Schayegh, violin

La Centifolia

Date: 2026

Label: Glossa

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Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber ranks among the most significant violin virtuosos of the Baroque era, and his works for the instrument remain landmarks of the repertoire. His Rosary Sonatas, a cycle of sixteen pieces, musically depict the mysteries of the Rosary tracing the life of Christ. A defining feature of the cycle is Biber’s use of scordatura, requiring a different tuning for each sonata, thereby creating distinct tonal colors and intensifying expressive tension across the work. In this interpretation, Leila Schayegh approaches the cycle with exceptional sensitivity and technical mastery, rendering its challenges with clarity and shaping Biber’s masterpiece into an intimate and evocative soundscape.

Swiss-born violinist Leila Schayegh began her musical studies on modern violin before turning to period instruments, becoming one of today’s leading figures in early music. Renowned for her expressive intensity and stage presence, her repertoire spans from the earliest seventeenth-century violin works to the Romantic era. Alongside core composers such as Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, and Brahms, she champions unjustly neglected repertoire. Her acclaimed recordings include sonatas by Carlo Farina and the complete violin concertos of Jean-Marie Leclair with La Cetra Basel. A sought-after festival artist and ensemble leader, she founded La Centifolia in 2019 and has taught at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis since 2010.