Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber

(1644-1704)

In the summer of 1670 Biber was sent by his employer, Karl II of Liechtenstein-kastelkorn, to Absam to obtain instruments from a renowned luthier. Biber never returned but instead gained employment under the Archbishop of Salzburg; he remained in that city, where he composed and published virtually all his music. A virtuosic violinist, much of Biber’s music involves scordatura (nonstandard tuning); he also composed one of the earliest masterpieces for unaccompanied violin in the final passacaglia of his Mystery Sonatas.