Artist: Purcell Quartet, Anna McDonald, Katherine McGillivray, Annette Isserlis, Rachel Byrt, Pamela Cresswell, William Hunt, Peter Harvey Title: Biber: Sacro-Profanum Year Of Release: 1997 Label: Chandos Genre: Classical Quality: flac lossless (tracks) + Booklet Total Time: 01:58:55 Total Size: 584 mb Tracklist CD1 01. Fidicinium sacro-profanum: Sonata No. 1 in B Minor, C. 78 02. Fidicinium sacro-profanum: Sonata No. 2 in F Major, C. 79 03. Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum, C. 10 04. Fidicinium sacro-profanum: Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, C. 80 05. Fidicinium sacro-profanum: Sonata No. 4 in G Minor, C. 81 06. Battalia à 10, C. 61 07. Fidicinium sacro-profanum: Sonata No. 5 in C Major, C. 82 08. Fidicinium sacro-profanum: Sonata No. 6 in A Minor, C. 83 09. Laetatus Sum, C. 9 CD2 01. Fidicinium sacro-profanum: Sonata No. 7 in D Major, C. 84 02. Fidicinium sacro-profanum: Sonata No. 8 in B-Flat Major, C. 85 03. Balleti lamentabili, C. 59: I. Sonata 04. Balleti lamentabili, C. 59: II. Allemanda 05. Balleti lamentabili, C. 59: III. Sarabande 06. Balleti lamentabili, C. 59: IV. Gavotte 07. Balleti lamentabili, C. 59: V. Gigue 08. Balleti lamentabili, C. 59: VI. Lamenti 09. Fidicinium sacro-profanum: Sonata No. 9 in G Major, C. 86 10. Fidicinium sacro-profanum: Sonata No. 10 in E Major, C. 87 11. Serenada à cinque in C Major, C. 75, "Nightwatchman`s Call": I. Serenada 12. Serenada à cinque in C Major, C. 75, "Nightwatchman`s Call": II. Allemanda 13. Serenada à cinque in C Major, C. 75, "Nightwatchman`s Call": III. Aria 14. Serenada à cinque in C Major, C. 75, "Nightwatchman`s Call": IV. Ciacona. Lost Ihr Herrn… 15. Serenada à cinque in C Major, C. 75, "Nightwatchman`s Call": V. Gavotte 16. Serenada à cinque in C Major, C. 75, "Nightwatchman`s Call": VI. Retirada 17. Fidicinium sacro-profanum: Sonata No. 11 in C Minor, C. 88 18. Fidicinium sacro-profanum: Sonata No. 12 in A Major, C. 89 19. Mystery (Rosary) Sonatas and Passacaglia: XVI. Passacaglia This marvellous collection of Biber's works, played brilliantly by the Purcell Quartet, interposes the 12 sonatas of the "Fidicinium sacro-profanum" (circa 1682) with other short programmatic works, much as was done when he worked for Prince-Bishop Karl at Kromeriz. The "Fidicinium" sonatas for string quartet were revolutionary in their form and their emphasis on harmony, and were created for the 1100th anniversary of the founding of the archdiocese of Salzburg by Saint Rupert. The quick alternation of tempi do indeed contrast a "sacred", sustained, church atmosphere with lively dances of jubilee and joy. Sonata I, for example, quickly moves from Allegro to Adagio, Allegro, Adagio, Allegro, Adagio, Grave, Adagio. After the first two sonatas, the remarkable "Nisi Dominus" for solo violin with its multiple stops, spectacular flourishes and arpeggiations negotiated around a scared vocal style is played. The next interpolation is the "Battalia à 10", a programmatic pece depicting the batlefield before and after with amazing effects: col legno battutta (hitting the strings with the wood of the bow), a drunken section in which 8 different tunes in different keys (!) are all played at once, and paper attached to a string of the violin to imitate a drum. The "Laetatus Sum" is like the "Nisi Dominus" in its virtuosity. The "Balletti lamentabili" (1670) is a suite of four secular dances that begins with a lament turning into a positive tone with a triple meter forte (unusual for the 17th century). The Serenada "Nightwatchman's Call" is a wonderful programmatic piece for bass vocalist announcing the time of day in friendly little poems accompanied by the strings played like lutes. The famous "Passacaglia" for solo violin with its 65 repeats of a descending figure ends the ensemble