Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644-1704): Sonatae "Tam Aris Quam Aulis
Servientes" (1676). The Rare Fruits Council, Manfredo Kraemer.  Astree
Auvidis  AS-128630, 67 min.

For the Biber fan, this recording is a gem.

These sonatas, (loosely, to serve "for the altar and for the table") were
Biber's first published works.  They are also the first to be dedicated to
his patron the Prince-Archbishop Maximilian Gandolph of Salzburg, later the
dedicatee of works such as the Mystery Sonatas and the solo Violin Sonatas,
published in 1681.  In a sense, they would seem superbly suited to the
musical needs of Maximilian, who had both secular and ecclesiastical
functions for which music such as Biber's would have served well.  Perhaps
this explain the insertion of two of these sonatas (nos.  5 and 12) as
instrumental interludes in the McCreesh-Goebel recording of Biber's "Missa
Salisburgensis" on Archiv.

Lasting between 4-6 minutes each, these sonatas superficially resemble
models of earlier 17th century Italian forms, with no real breaks or
movements as such.  But they display the unique stylistic quirks that
are so familiar in many of Biber's compositions.  These include highly
virtuosic, almost improvisatory passages that are passed back and forth
between instruments, numerous changes in tempo and metre which require
close ensemble work, an idiomatic mastery of instrumental writing and
even a surprise ending or two.  Some have a more ecclesiastical musical
character (whatever that means), though the interspersing of virtuoso
writing and dancelike tempi dispel a notion that the Prince-Archbishop
was averse to a good display of fancy, toe-tapping fiddlin'.

They are primarily scored for strings, including two solo violins, a
middle voice grouping of 3-4 viols, and continuo (the latter provided in
this record by organ, lute, harp and contrabass).  The strings are joined
by two trumpets in several of the sonatas, who provide their own measure of
virtuosity, passing back and forth the same lively themes that the violins
play; other times the trumpets play independent solo parts, or simply
provide a sonorous commentary/support role for the strings.  Overall,
the effect is of a rich web of string and brass sound--there can be up to
eight separate voices, not including the continuo, making these supposedly
"chamber" sonatas more complex than some Baroque "orchestral" pieces.

And (shades of a Monty Python sketch) who can resist a recording by
a group that calls itself "The Rare Fruits Council"? I wonder if the
so-called "major" classical labels (nowadays dwarfed by their more
independent, smaller brethren) would have taken on such a uniquely named
ensemble, period instruments or not.  But the Council have a remarkably
smooth string sound and a technique (including that of the two Baroque
trumpeters) which make the trickiest Biberian passages sound like something
anyone could do.  The recorded sound balances well between the brass and
strings (not as easily accomplished with modern instruments), though I
could have lived with more of the plucked continuo instruments in the fore.
Also, it would have been fun to see what tempo changes, if any, Biber
specified in the individual sonatas--the CD notes give no information of
this kind.

Still, I would highly recommend this recording to anyone who wants to go
down some less well-tread pathways of the Baroque era.

Bill H. (now back from a travel-induced List hiatus)