← All composers
Portrait of Heinrich Franz von Biber

Heinrich Franz von Biber

Baroque · 1644–1704

Heinrich Franz von Biber was born in Bohemia in 1644 and made his career in Salzburg, where he rose from court musician to Kapellmeister, the archbishop's director of music, and was eventually raised to the nobility by the emperor. In his own lifetime he was famous above all as a violin virtuoso.

His reputation still rests on what he asked the violin to do. In the Mystery of the Rosary Sonatas, a set of pieces meditating on scenes from the lives of Jesus and Mary, he has the player retune the strings differently for almost every sonata, drawing eerie new colors from the same instrument. His Battalia is a battle picture in sound, complete with drunken soldiers singing several different songs at once.

Start with the Battalia in D major for the fun, then a few of the Mystery Sonatas for the depth.

69 works in the catalog, across 2 genres. Log what you listen to with Opus, the classical music journal for iPhone.

Chamber

  • 16 Rosenkranz-Sonaten, C. 90-105, "Mystery of the Rosary Sonatas"
  • Battalia in D major, C.61 For 3 violins, 4 violas, 2 violins and keyboard
  • Fidicinium Sacro-Profanum, 12 sonatas for violin, 2 violas, and continuo, C.78-89
  • Sonates du Rosaire, for violin: Crucifixion
  • 12 Trumpet Duets, C.126-137
  • Arien a4, suite for violin, 2 violas and continuo in A major, C.53
  • Balletae à 4 Violette
  • Balleti in B minor
  • Balleti in G minor
  • Balletti Lamentabili a4, suite for violin, 2 violas and continuo in E minor, C.59
  • Balletti à 6, suite for 2 trumpets, violin, 2 violas and continuo in C major, C. 57
  • Fantasia, for violin and continuo in D major, C.77
  • Harmonia Artificiosa-Ariosa, 7 partitas for violin, viola, 2 viola d'amore, continuo, C.62-68
  • Harmonia Romana
  • Mensa Sonora seu Musica Instrumentalis, suites for violin, 2 violas and continuo, C.69-74
  • Passacaglia in G minor, for solo violin
  • Serenada a5 in C, "Der Nachtwächter"
  • Serenada à 5, for 2 violins, 2 violas, and continuo in C, C.75, "Nightwatchman's Call"
  • Sonata a3, for 2 violins, trombone and continuo in D minor, C. App117
  • Sonata a6 in G, "Campanarum, vulgo Glockeriana"
  • Sonata a6, for trumpet, 2 violins, 2 violas and continuo in C major, C.109
  • Sonata a7, for 6 trumpets, kettledrums and continuo in C major, C.111
  • Sonata a8 for 2 trumpets, 2 violins, 3 violas and basso continuo
  • Sonata for Solo Violin in A major, C.147
  • Sonata in A, "La Pastorella"
  • Sonata jucunda a6 in D
  • Sonata no. 8 in B flat major, for violin, 2 violas and continuo, C.85
  • Sonata no. 11 in C minor, for violin, 2 violas and continuo, C.88
  • Sonata pro Tabula à 10, for 5 recorders, 2 violins, 3 violas and continuo in C major, C.112
  • Sonata Sancto Polycarpi a9, for 8 trumpets, kettledrums and continuo in C major, C.113
  • Sonata tam Aris à 5, for 2 trumpets, 2 violins, and continuo in G, C.120
  • Sonata tam Aris à 5, for 2 violins, 2 violas, and continuo in A, C.124
  • Sonata tam Aris à 5, for 2 violins, 2 violas, and continuo in B flat major, C.122
  • Sonata tam Aris à 5, for 2 violins, 2 violas, and continuo in F, C.119
  • Sonata tam Aris à 5, for 2 violins, 2 violas, and continuo in G, C.121
  • Sonata tam Aris à 5, for trumpet, violin, 2 violas, and continuo in C, C.117
  • Sonata tam Aris à 5, for trumpet, violin, 2 violas, and continuo in G minor, C.123
  • Sonata tam Aris à 6, for 2 violins, 3 violas, and continuo in D, C.115
  • Sonata tam Aris à 6, for 2 violins, 3 violas, and continuo in G minor, C.116
  • Sonata tam Aris à 6, for 2 violins, 3 violas, and continuo no. 5 in E minor, C.118
  • Sonata tam Aris à 8, for 2 trumpets, 2 violins, 2 violas, and continuo in C, C.114
  • Sonata tam Aris à 8, for 2 trumpets, 2 violins, 2 violas, and continuo in C major, C.125
  • Sonata à 6 in B flat major 'die pauern-Kirchfarth genandt', for 3 violins, 2 violas and continuo, C.110
  • Trombet und musikalischer Taffeldienst à 4, suite for 2 violins, 2 violas, and continuo in C major, C.76
  • Trombet undt musicalischer Taffeldienst
  • Violin Sonata in A, C.106, "Pastorella"
  • Violin Sonata in A, C.146, "Representatio Avium"
  • Violin Sonata in A major, C.147
  • Violin Sonata in C minor, C.107
  • Violin Sonata in E major, C.108
  • Violin Sonata no. 1 in A major, C.138
  • Violin Sonata no. 2 in D minor, C.139
  • Violin Sonata no. 3 in F major, C.140
  • Violin Sonata no. 4 in D major, C.141
  • Violin Sonata no. 5 in E minor, C.142
  • Violin Sonata no. 6 in C minor, C.143
  • Violin Sonata no. 7 in G minor, C.144
  • Violin Sonata no. 8 in G major, C.145

Vocal

  • Laetatus Sum à7, for 2 solo voices, violin, 3 violas, and continuo, C.9
  • Litaniæ de Sancto Josepho à20, for eight solo voices, double chorus, orchestra and continuo, C.44
  • Missa Christi resurgentis, for solo voices, double chorus, orchestra and continuo, C.3
  • Missa ex B, for soloists, chorus and organ, C.4
  • Missa Salisburgensis, 2 double choruses in 16 parts, double orchestra and double continuo, C.App.101
  • Nisi Dominus, for voice, violin abd continuo
  • Nisi Dominus, vesper-psalm for solo voices, chorus, orchestra, and continuo in D minor, C.22
  • Plaudite tympana, motet for 2 double choruses in 16 parts, double orchestra and double continuo, C.App.106
  • Requiem ex F con terza minore, for solo voices, chorus, orchestra and continuo, C.8
  • Vesperae longiores ac breviores una cum litaniis Lauretanis, for soloists and chorus
  • Vesperae à 32, for 8 solo voices, double chorus, orchestra and continuo in C major, C.11-12

Related composers

Keep a listening journal.

Opus is free on the App Store.

Download on the App Store