Biber - Mystery Sonata No 11 - "The Resurrection" - violin & organ

Описание: Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber
Mystery Sonata No 11 "The Resurrection" circa 1676
Sheet music for cello and violin: https://musescore.com/user/33311356/s...
Sheet music for violin scordatura: https://musescore.com/user/33311356/s...

This is my first time posting a violin piece — and there’s a lot that makes this violin unusual. But first, a bit about the music.

I’ve loved this piece ever since I first heard it on WCNY in Liverpool, NY, sometime around 7th grade. We didn’t have much money to buy music, so I recorded it off the air and listened to that cassette for years.

The composer is Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644–1704), a German Baroque composer born about 40 years before Bach. Among his many works are the Mystery Sonatas (c. 1676), fifteen musical meditations on the Rosary. This one, Mystery Sonata No. 11 – “The Resurrection”, is written for violin scordatura — an alternate tuning where the strings are rearranged and retuned. In this case, the A and D strings are swapped, and the E and A strings are tuned down, giving you D–D–G–G instead of E–A–D–G. This allows for unusual harmonies, bright tone, and effortless octave passages.

That’s one unusual thing about this performance. The other? I’m not actually playing a violin.

Years ago, I played a 15-inch fiddle — slightly larger than a standard full-size violin (14") but smaller than my viola (17.25"). It felt wonderfully comfortable, but I couldn’t buy it at the time. Later, when I wanted one, I couldn’t find a 15-inch violin anywhere. So… I bought a cheap 15-inch viola instead. It’s strung with viola strings for G/D/A, plus a low-tension violin E string (Warchal Amber). Normally, violin strings on a viola can be risky because the extra length increases tension, but this setup is safe — and I love it. It’s also easier for me to switch between this and my “true love,” my viola. ♥️

As for the accompaniment, Biber likely intended this sonata for violin and harpsichord. The recording I grew up with used organ instead — playing mostly the bass line, leaving the treble part unused. That’s what we’ve done here, thanks to the wonderful Jason Steiner, organist at ‪@covenantchurch-houston442‬ .

For the curious: the organ is an 1893 Hook & Hastings of Boston, originally built for First Baptist Church, Georgetown, Kentucky. You can read about its restoration on our church website.

Hope you enjoy!