Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber

1 Biography
Biber was born in Wartenberg, Bohemia (now Str
pod Ralskem, Czech Republic). Little is known about
his early education, other than that he may have studied at a Jesuit Gymnasium at Opava in Bohemia. Before 1668 Biber worked at the court of Prince Johann
Seyfried von Eggenberg in Graz, and then was employed
by the Bishop of Olomouc, Karl II von LiechtensteinKastelkorn, in Krom. Bibers associate from the early
1660s, Pavel Josef Vejvanovsk, worked there as director of the Kapelle. Biber apparently enjoyed a good reputation, and his violin playing skills were very highly regarded.

A portrait of the composer, engraved by Paulus Seel for Bibers

Sonatae Violino solo (1681)

A panorama of Salzburg c.1712, by J. B. Homann

In summer 1670 Karl II sent Biber to Absam, near

Innsbruck, to negotiate with the celebrated instrument
maker Jacob Stainer for the purchase of new instruments
for the Kapelle. Biber never reached Stainer, however,
and instead entered the employ of the Archbishop of
Salzburg, Maximilian Gandolph von Kuenburg. Because
Karl and Maximilian were friends, Bibers former employer refrained from taking any action; he was, however,
very hurt by the composers decision, and waited until
1676 to ocially issue his release papers. It is not coincidental that most of the autograph compositions Biber
sent to Krom date from the early 1670s. Biber remained in Salzburg for the rest of his life. His musical
and social careers ourished: he started publishing his
music in 1676, performed before the Emperor (and was
rewarded by him) in 1677, became deputy Kapellmeister at Salzburg in 1679 and Kapellmeister in 1684. In
1690 Biber was raised to nobility by the Emperor, with
the title of Biber von Bibern. Finally, the new Archbishop
of Salzburg, Johann Ernst, Count Thun, appointed Biber
lord high steward, the highest social rank Biber would attain.

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber von Bibern (12 August

1644 (baptised) 3 May 1704) was a Bohemian-Austrian
composer and violinist. Born in the small Bohemian
town of Wartenberg (Str pod Ralskem), Biber worked
at Graz and Krom before he illegally left his Kremsier
(Krom) employer (Prince-Bishop Carl LiechtensteinCastelcorno) and settled in Salzburg. He remained there
for the rest of his life, publishing much of his music but
apparently seldom, if ever, giving concert tours.
Biber was one of the most important composers for the
violin in the history of the instrument. His technique allowed him to easily reach the 6th and 7th positions, employ multiple stops in intricate polyphonic passages, and
explore the various possibilities of scordatura tuning. He
also wrote one of the earliest known pieces for solo violin, the monumental passacaglia of the Mystery Sonatas.
During Bibers lifetime, his music was known and imitated throughout Europe. In the late 18th century he was
named the best violin composer of the 17th century by
music historian Charles Burney. In the late 20th century
Bibers music, especially the Mystery Sonatas, enjoyed a
renaissance. Today, it is widely performed and recorded.

The composer was married on 30 May 1672 at Schloss

Hellbrunn (the Bishops summer residence, just outside
Salzburg). His wife Maria Weiss was a daughter of
a Salzburg merchant. Together they had 11 children,
1

2
four of whom survived to adulthood. All were musically gifted. Anton Heinrich (16791742) and Karl Heinrich (16811749) both served as violinists at the Salzburg
court, and the latter was promoted to Kapellmeister in
1743. Daughters Maria Ccilia (born 1674) and Anna
Magdalena (16771742) became nuns at Santa Clara,
Merano, and the Nonnberg Abbey, respectively. Anna
Magdalena was an alto singer and a violinist, and in
1727 became director of the choir and the Kapelle of the
Abbey.

2 WORKS
Jakob Walther and Johann Paul von Westho), regarded
as one of the best and most inuential violinists in Europe. However, soon after his death, German violinists
started following the style of Arcangelo Corelli and his
imitators.

2.1 Instrumental music

Bibers nest scordatura writing is represented in two collections. The rst dates from c. 1676 and is known
Biber died in Salzburg in 1704, but the location of his
variously as Mystery Sonatas, Rosary Sonatas (Mystegrave is unknown.
rien Sonaten, Die Rosenkranz-Sonaten), Copper-Plate Engraving Sonatas, etc., remaining unpublished during the
composers lifetime. It comprises sixteen pieces: fteen sonatas for violin and continuo portraying the fteen
2 Works
Mysteries of the Rosary, and a long passacaglia for solo
violin. In the extant copy of the collection, each piece
is accompanied by a small engraving depicting the mystery it portrays, while the image (an ink drawing) preceding the passacaglia depicts a guardian angel with a child.
Only the rst and the last pieces use normal tuning; all
others employ some form of scordatura:

Bibers symbolic reconguration of the violin for the Resurrection

sonata of the Mystery Sonatas

Bibers violin music was possibly inuenced, on one hand,

by the Italian tradition of Marco Uccellini and Carlo
Farina, and on the other, by the then-nascent German
polyphonic tradition as exemplied by Johann Heinrich
Schmelzer, who may have been Bibers teacher. Bibers
achievements included further development of violin
techniquehe was able to reach the 6th and 7th positions,
and his left-hand and bowing techniques were far more
advanced than those of contemporary Italian composers.
He also excelled at counterpoint, frequently writing fully
polyphonic textures, with much use of multiple stops.
Yet another area in which Biber made a substantial contribution was the art of scordatura, i.e. music for alternative tunings of the instrument. Finally, much of
Bibers music employs various forms of number symbolism, aekten, programmatic devices, etc., as seen in, for
example, the symbolic retuning of the violin for the Resurrection sonata of the Mystery Sonatas.

The sonatas were dedicated to Maximilian Gandolph von

Khuenburg, whom Biber addresses in the preface: I have
consecrated the whole to the honour of the XV Sacred
Mysteries, which you promote so strongly. Although unpublished during the composers lifetime, these works are
his most popular pieces today, and one of the reasons for
the revival of interest in his music. The entire set has
been recorded by numerous violinists such as John Holloway, Andrew Manze, and many others. Sonata 15 is
famous for one of its themes, which matches the theme
of Paganini's Caprice No. 24 almost exactly; it is possible that Paganini was inspired by Biber, just as Franz
Liszt, Johannes Brahms and Sergei Rachmanino were
later inspired by Paganinis Caprice.[1]

The second work in which Biber explored scordatura

techniques is Harmonia articioso-ariosa (1696), his last
known published collection of instrumental music. It
contains seven partitas for two instruments and basso continuo: ve for two violins, one for two violas d'amore, and
one for violin and viola. Six of the partitas require scordatura tunings, including those for viola and two violas
d'amore; Biber utilises the full potential of the technique,
including all possibilities for complex polyphony: some
of the pieces are in ve parts, with both of the melodic
instruments carrying two. Interestingly, no other chamber works by Biber use such devices, and the only other
pieces to use scordatura are two of the sonatas included in
Sonatae violino solo of 1681. That collection comprises
During the latter half of the 17th century Biber was, to- eight sonatas for violin and basso continuo, all noted algether with the composers of the Dresden school (Johann ready by Charles Burney in late 18th century, for the bril-

3
liant virtuosic passages and elaborate structures. In contrast to both Mystery Sonatas and Harmonia, these works
consist mostly of pieces in free forms (prelude, aria) or
variations, rather than dances.
Bibers other published collections of instrumental music
are Sonatae tam aris quam aulis servientes (1676), Mensa
sonora (1680), and Fidicinium sacro profanum (1682/3).
Sonatae tam aris contains sonatas in ve, six or eight parts;
some of them only use string instruments, some include
one or two trumpets. Mensa sonora is a set of six partitas
for one or two violins, viola, cello, and basso continuo,
and Fidicinium sacro profanum comprises twelve sonatas
for one or two violins, two violas, and continuo. Finally,
manuscript sources include numerous other pieces: fantasias, balletti, sonatas, etc. Among these are the Battalia, a programmatic battle piece which anticipates
such latter-day techniques as polytonality and col legno
playing, and the Sonata representativa, another typical
17th-century piece similar to works by Walther and Farina, which imitates various birds and animals. An example of Bibers versatility in instrumental music is the
Sonata S Polycarpi, which is scored for eight trumpets and
timpani.

3 List of works (selection)

C. 1 Missa Alleluja 36
C. 2 Missa Sancti Alexii
C. 3 Missa Christi resurgentis
C. 4 Missa ex B
C. 5 Missa Quadragemisalis
C. 6 Missa Sancti Henrici
C. 7 Requiem 15 in Concerto
C. 8 Requiem ex F con terza minore
C. 9 Laetatus sum a 7
C. 10 Nisi Dominus a 2, violino e basso
Vesperae 32
C. 11 Dixit Dominus
C. 12 Magnicat

2.2

Sacred music

Unlike most composers for the violin, Biber did not limit
himself to music for the instrument. He was also a prolic composer of sacred vocal works: masses, requiems,
motets, etc. Many of those were polychoral and employing large instrumental forces, inspired by the possibilities of the spacious interior of the Salzburg Cathedral. Among the polychoral works, Missa Salisburgensis (1682) is the best known. An expansive setting of
the mass for sixteen voices and 37 instrumentalists (i.e.
53 parts total), it was previously attributed to Orazio
Benevoli, but today Bibers authorship is certain. The instrumentation includes not only string ensembles, but also
oboes, cornetts, trumpets, and timpani. Among his many
polychoral works are Plaudite tympana 53 (1682) Vesperae 32 (1693), Missa Bruxellensis (1696) and Missa
Sancti Henrici (1697), which was composed for the occasion of the taking of the veil by his second daughter, Anna
Magdalena, at Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg. In tribute to
the Emperor Henry II, the second founding saint of the
convent, she took the name Maria Rosa Henrica when
her novitiate began in 1696. The Mass of Saint Henry is
scored for a ve-voice choir with two soprano lines and
an orchestra of two violins, three violas, two trumpets,
timpani and continuo, with optional extra trumpets and
sackbuts to double the voice parts.
Although Biber is best known for the massive polychoral
works, he was also capable of writing for smaller forces.
Missa quadragesimalis is a simple a cappella setting (with
only a continuo part provided) for four voices, as is the
Stabat Mater.

Vesperae longiores ac breviores (1693)

C. 13 Dixit Dominus
C. 14 Contebor tibi Domine
C. 15 Beatus vir
C. 16 Laudate, pueri, Dominum
C. 17 Laudate Dominum
C. 18 Magnicat
C. 20 Laudate pueri
C. 23 Lauda Jerusalem
C. 43 In Festo Trium Regium, Muttetum Natale
6
C. 44 Litaniae de Sancto Josepho
C. 45 Lux perpetua
C. 46 Huc poenitentes
C. 47 Ne cedite mentes
C. 48 Quo abiit dilectus tuus a 8 (Oertorium in
Festo 7 dolorum)
C. 49 Salve Regina
C. 51 Arminio, chi la dura la vince. Dramma musicale in three acts

4 INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Instrumental music
C. 52 Arien 4
C. 53 Arien 4, for violin, 2 violas & continuo in
A major
C. 55 Ballettae 4 Violettae
C. 56 Balletti 4, for violin, 2 violas & continuo
in G major
C. 58 Balletti
C. 59 Balletti Lamentabili 4
C. 60 Balletti
C. 61 Battalia 10, for 3 violins, 4 violas, 2 violone, and continuo,(1673)
Harmonia articioso-ariosa: diversi mode accordata (7 partias for 1 or 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 violas d'amore, and continuo in various combinations)
(1696)
C. 62 Partia, No. 1 in D minor
C. 63 Partia, No. 2 in B minor

C. 94 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 5 in

A major, (The Finding in the Temple)
C. 95 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 6 in
C minor, (The Agony in the Garden)
C. 96 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 7 in
F major, (The Scourging of Jesus)
C. 97 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 8
in B at major, (The Crowning of Jesus with
Thorns)
C. 98 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 9 in
A minor, (The Carrying of the Cross)
C. 99 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 10
in G minor, (The Crucixion)
C. 100 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 11
in G major,(The Resurrection)
C. 101 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 12
in C major, (The Ascension)
C. 102 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 13
in D minor, (The Descent of the Holy Ghost)
C. 103 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 14
in D major, (The Assumption of our Lady)

C. 65 Partia, No. 4 in E at major

C. 104 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 15

in C major, (The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

C. 66 Partia, No. 5 in G minor

C. 105 Passacaglia, for violin solo in G minor

C. 67 Partia, No. 6 in D major

C. 106 Pastorella, sonata for violin & continuo in

A major

C. 64 Partia, No. 3 in A major

C. 68 Partia, No. 7
Mensa Sonora seu Musica Instrumentalis (6 suites
for violin, two violas, and continuo) (1680)
C. 6974
C. 75 Serenada 5 'Der Nachtwchter'
C. 76 Trombet-undt Musicalischer Taeldienst
4
Fidicinium sacroprofanum (12 sonatas for 1 or 2 violins, 2 violas, and continuo) (1683)
C. 7889
Rosary Sonatas (for violin in scordatura and continuo and a passacaglia for violin solo) (also known
as Mystery Sonatas and Copper-Engraving Sonatas)
(1676)

C. 108 Sonata, for violin & continuo in E major

C. 109 Sonata a 6
C. 110 Sonata 6 Die pauern kirchfartt genandt,
for 3 violins, 2 violas & continuo in B-at major
C. 111 Sonata 7, 6 Tromb, Tramburin con
Organo Ao. 1668
C. 112 Sonata 'pro tabula' for 5 recorders, 2 violins, 3 violas & continuo in C major
C. 113 Sonata Sancti Polycarpi
Sonatae tam aris quam aulis servientes (12 sonatas
for 58 instruments [trumpets, strings, and continuo] in various combinations) (1676)

C. 90 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 1 in

D minor, (The Annunciation)

C. 114 Sonata, for 2 trumpets, 2 violins, 2

violas & continuo No. 1 in C major

C. 91 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 2 in

A major, (The Visitation)

C. 115 Sonata, for 2 violins, 3 violas & continuo No. 2 in D major

C. 92 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 3 in

B minor, (The Nativity)

C. 116 Sonata, for 2 violins, 3 violas & continuo No. 3 in G minor

C. 93 Sonata, for violin & continuo No. 4 in

D minor, (The Presentation)

C. 117 Sonata, for trumpet, violin, 2 violas

& continuo No. 4 in C major

4.1

Lost vocal works

C. 118 Sonata, for 2 violins, 3 violas & con- 4.1 Lost vocal works
tinuo No. 5 in E minor
Applausi festivi di Giove (cantata) (1687)
C. 119 Sonata, for 2 violins, 2 violas & continuo No. 6 in F major
Li trofei della fede cattolica (cantata) (1687)
C. 120 Sonata, for 2 trumpets, 2 violins &
Alessandro in Pietra (opera) (1689) [2]
continuo No. 7 in C major
C. 121 Sonata, for 2 violins, 2 violas & con Trattenimento musicale del'ossequio di Salisburgo
tinuo No. 8 in G major
(cantata) (1699)
C. 122 Sonata, for 2 violins, 2 violas & con Sonata 3 (for 2 violins and trombone) (Questiontinuo No. 9 in B at major
able attribution to Bibers early career as a novice
C. 123 Sonata, for trumpet, violin, 2 violas
composer) The theory that Biber wrote this suggests
& continuo No. 10 in G minor
Antonio Bertali as a teacher. Bertali wrote a number
C. 124 Sonata, for 2 violins, 2 violas & conof similar sonatas for exactly the same scoring. This
tinuo No. 11 in A major
sonata could possibly be attributed to Bertali except
that the violin passages are sometimes more fanciful
C. 125 Sonata, for 2 trumpets, 2 violins, 2
than any other in Bertalis works.[3]
violas & continuo No. 12 in C major
C. 126137 A due No. 112
Sonatae violino solo (8 sonatas for violin and continuo) (1681)
C. 138 Sonata, for violin & continuo No.
in A major
C. 139 Sonata, for violin & continuo No.
in D minor
C. 140 Sonata, for violin & continuo No.
in F major
C. 141 Sonata, for violin & continuo No.
in D major
C. 142 Sonata, for violin & continuo No.
in E minor
C. 143 Sonata, for violin & continuo No.
in C minor
C. 144 Sonata, for violin & continuo No.
in G minor
C. 145 Sonata, for violin & continuo No.
in G major

1
2

5 See also
Pavel Josef Vejvanovsk
Andreas Hofer (composer)
Jan Ktitel Tolar

Vinzenz Fux

Stylus fantasticus

5
6
7
8

C. 146 Sonata violino solo representativa (Representatio Avium), for violin & continuo in A major,
1669?
C. 147 Sonata, for solo violin in A major
C. App. 100 Missa Bruxellensis
C. App. 101 Missa Salisburgensis
C. App. 106 Hymnus Plaudite Tympana
C. App. 111 Harmonia Romana
C. App. 117 Sonata 3 AB
C. App. 118 Sonata 3 (AB)
C. App. 119 Sonata 4 (H.B.)
C. App. 121 Sonata Jucunda, for 2 violins, 3 violas
& continuo in D major

6 Selected recordings
Requiem 15 Vesperae 32, Els Bongers, Anne
Grimm, Kai Wessel, Peter de Groot, Marcel
Reyans, Simon Davies, Ren Steur, Kees-Jan de
Koning, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir,
Ton Koopman
Missa Bruxellensis Jordi Savall, Le Concert des
Nations, La Capella Reial de Catalunya Alia Vox
9808
Requiem / Battalia Jordi Savall, La Capella Reial
de Catalunya, Le Concert des Nations Alia Vox
9825
Sonata Representativa for violin & continuo in A
major, The Zarjaz, La Leggenda Del Block, Editio
Seconda, Traite Pour Marbre Neon Harpe Et Voix
Basilcia Records BA 005
Mensa sonora and Sonata representativa,
Reinhard Goebel, Musica Antiqua Kln Archiv
Produktion (DG) 423701
The Rosary Sonatas, Richard Egarr, Andrew
Manze, Alison McGillivray, Harmonia Mundi
907321

Notes

[1] Hyperion Records|Heinrich Biber

[2] Karl Heinrich Wrner, Wolfgang Gratzer, Lenz Meierott
(1993): Geschichte der Musik: ein Studien- und Nachschlagebuch at Google Books, p. 229. Vandenhoeck &
Ruprecht, ISBN 3-525-27811-X.
[3] Linn Records Virtuoso in the Making Biber

References
Dann, Elias, and Sehnal, Ji. Heinrich Ignaz Franz
von Biber. In Macy, Laura. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press.
(subscription required)

External links
Heinrich Biber homepage (includes discography)
Free scores by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber at the
International Music Score Library Project

Free scores by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber in the

Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

EXTERNAL LINKS

10
10.1

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich%20Ignaz%20Franz%20Biber?oldid=636811584 Contributors: Deb, Davitf, Camembert, Bdesham, Ahoerstemeier, Evercat, JASpencer, Composer333, Wik, Wetman, Qertis, PuzzletChung, JackofOz, Guy Peters, Leonard Vertighel, DavidBrooks, Antandrus, Marcus2, Klemen Kocjancic, D6, Mindspillage, Bender235, Jashiin, Troels
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Zengraft and Anonymous: 59

10.2

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