Bojan Čičić | The Illyria Consort: Biber's Sonata VIII - Allegro (excerpt)

Heinrich Biber: Violin Sonatas — 1681
"Throughout, the music, and Čičić’s playing, continually underline why the 17th century is often called the Golden Age of violin-playing; there’s a great combination of subtle nuance, bold contrast and sheer technical dazzle. ... For me, this release is a triumph and pretty much everything about it speaks of an artist entering the golden phase of his career. If it doesn’t win awards, I’ll be astonished ..." - GRAMOPHONE RECORDING OF THE MONTH

Following the chart-topping success of his Bach Sonatas and Partitas and equal acclaim for his recording of Walther’s Scherzi da violino, Bojan Čičić now turns to Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber’s collection of sonatas from 1681 – among the most ambitious and inventive violin works of the seventeenth century.

Using unorthodox tuning and bold harmonic invention, Biber expands the instrument’s capabilities, and his improvisatory style, layered textures and intricate counterpoint demand of the player not only virtuosic technical brilliance but an acute sensitivity to affect and sonority.

With his Illyria Consort, Čičić brings a clarity and depth to this music, uncovering the sonatas’ rich interplay between intellect, devotion and instrumental theatre. Restless in imagination and profound in expression, the sonatas – here recorded complete – are illuminated by Čičić’s unmistakable artistry.

Listen to the whole album here: https://orcd.co/biber

film by Will Coates-Gibson / foxbrush.co.uk
recorded sound by Paul Baxter
www.delphianrecords.com