Pros: lovely sound clarity, the combination of instruments works well, complementing each other, interesting interpretation.
Cons: perhaps a little TOO understated, not as interesting as a previous recording of the music
The Bottom Line: Good for sitting or lying around, rather more peaceful and melodic than most relaxing music you'll find! Sounds beautiful and still quite virtuosic.
copernicus's Full Review: Unam Ceylum - Biber / Holloway, Assenbaum, Mortens...
I’ve been jotting down a glut of travel pieces just recently, so I think it’s time to get back to my real source of inspiration and enlighten the unenlightened. Having owned Romanesca’s version of Biber’s 1681 Sonatas for about three years now, when I saw that John Holloway had released a (somewhat abbreviated) version, I decided that I had to have it, if only for comparative purposes....or something.....
Having heard Holloway’s playing on the 1991 recording of Biber’s Mystery Sonatas, I was impressed with his reverent approach and warm sound. While it doesn’t nearly approach the exuberance and often outlandish virtuosity of Romanesca’s, and particularly Andrew Manze’s performances, there is always room for different interpretations!
This recording of the 1681 Sonatas by the enigmatic Heinrich Ignaz Biber, encompasses four of the eight sonatas in that opus, and two unpublished ones. Whether those are premiere performances, I am unsure, but they are noteworthy at any rate, in particular the final one in E Major.
The performers on this disc are unusual in their arrangement, in that the violin is accompanied by two keyboard instruments only. Commonly, there is one keyboard and another continuo instrument, such as a viola da gamba/cello, or a stringed instrument like a theorbo. Instead, the bass line is shared by the organ and the harpsichord, and this creates an entirely different ambience for the music. The Romanesca recording primarily featured a harpsichord and theorbo, which is a much more sprightly, colourful sound. The organ and harpsichord combination is perhaps warmer, but much more understated.
The organist in this case is Aloysia Assenbaum and the harpsichord guy has a very long name – Lars Ulrik Mortensen. Something of a Scandinavian flavour here!
The music itself takes on a different aspect. John Holloway as a performer is not so inclined towards impressive bursts of sound and the sometimes strange ornamentation that Andrew Manze provides, and this means that the performances as a whole are not as extrovert. The music still calls for quite a lot of virtuosity and improvisation, but this is not pulled off in the extravagant manner that is heard from Romanesca – the warm sound of the violin is somewhat more languorous, the tempo quite noticeably slow. The comparison between the two recordings is quite stark.
This is perhaps underlined in the final sequence of the first track, Sonata III. This final section is much more explosive and virtuosic on the Romanesca recording, the sound perhaps a bit more strained and, if not primal, since that is hardly a good word for it, but certainly a little wild-sounding, and unrestrained. Holloway, on the other hand, keeps the music in check, just a little bit slower and producing a softer, more intimate sound.
Of greatest interest to me where the two unpublished sonatas, which I had never heard before. Of the two, the final piece on the CD, Sonata no. 84 as it is denoted, is the more interesting. The first is wedged in between the first two and last two of the 1681 collection, and the notes indicate that this Sonata no. 83 is probably an immediate predecessor to this collection – and to be honest I actually thought it was one of the pieces on the Romanesca CD, at least when it began, because it has a very similar style and sound to those Sonatas. It is not as interesting and enigmatic as the other unpublished piece, though it still has some of the usual melodic quirks and idiosyncracies of the composer.
The Sonata VI, after this middle piece, opens with a beautiful sonorous and melodic introduction with the violin and organ. This piece is one of the more beautiful in the collection of eight, and also one of the more difficult, if the sound of it is anything to go by. It elevates the violin to a polyphonic instrument much of the time, requiring two and sometimes three strings to be played at a time, which creates an interesting and haunting effect. It is much more noticeable here than on the Romanesca recording, because the violin has a more dominant sound, and a bit clearer. The conclusion of the piece is, simply, spun gold.
The final sonata is the most intriguing of all them, particularly the beginning and a segment nearer towards the end, which has an almost folksy turn. The booklet notes indicate that this may have been the piece that Biber played for the Austrian Emperor, who I believe bestowed upon him a barony. The middle section is very quiet and pastoral, after the tumult of the opening few minutes, which eventually gives way to the interesting aforementioned segment, a duel, in essence, between the violin and harpsichord. This gives way again to the quiescence that marked the immediate opening of the piece, through to its conclusion.
While the approach taken to the music is much different to that taken by Romanesca, it is certainly worthy in its own way. While it probably doesn’t make quite enough of Biber’s virtuosity, it makes up for this in warmth of sound and a reverence that is matched by the sound quality – it was recorded in a monastery in Austria, and the resonance and sweetness of sound comes through. While I don’t enjoy it as much as I do the Romanesca CD, the lush sound and veneration the performers have for the music is quite apparent. Quite a worthwhile purchase, for those after something different, particularly fans of the genre, but also for those who want something nice to relax. You’ll find much more interesting and sincere music on here than you will on a New Age-y recording!
Thanks for reading, I realise this isn’t the most exciting subject for many but comments will always be appreciated if you’ve found this of interest. I can only hope to get a little bit going!
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