Events

Getting the Most from a Biber Performance

Biber concerts rarely look like a standard orchestral evening, and knowing a little about what to expect makes them far more rewarding. Much of his best-known music calls for small forces: a solo violin with continuo, often harpsichord or organ, sometimes joined by viola da gamba, theorbo or cello. Many ensembles that programme his work play on period instruments with gut strings and Baroque bows. The sound is lighter and more intimate, and it suits churches and smaller halls better than vast auditoriums.

Listening for scordatura

One of Biber's signatures is scordatura, the retuning of the violin's strings to unusual intervals. In the Rosary (Mystery) Sonatas almost every piece uses a different tuning. Violinists sometimes bring several instruments to a recital so they don't have to retune between sonatas, so a row of violins on stage is a clue. Altered tunings change the resonance of the instrument, and certain chords ring with an unusual brightness or darkness. Listen for how the colour shifts from one sonata to the next.

Programmes worth seeking out

• The Rosary Sonatas, sometimes performed complete across one long evening or split over two concerts, ending with the unaccompanied Passacaglia.
• Battalia, a vivid programmatic piece for strings with deliberately clashing tunes and paper threaded through the strings to imitate a snare drum.
• Sacred choral works, including large-scale masses associated with Salzburg, which need multiple choirs and brass.
• Sonatas from the 1681 violin collection, often paired with music by contemporaries such as Schmelzer or Muffat.

Practical tips

Early-music performances are often promoted through university music schools, church concert series and specialist Baroque ensembles, so it is worth following those listings as well as the major venues. Always confirm dates, programmes and tickets with the organiser directly, since early-music programmes can change when performers or instruments shift. Arriving early lets you read the programme notes, which for Biber often explain the tunings and the devotional images behind the sonatas.

For background before a concert, our guide to Biber's works and our selection of recommended recordings are good places to start.