Artist: Purcell Quartet Title: Biber: Mensa Sonora / Violin Sonata in A Major Year Of Release: 2008 Label: Chandos Genre: Classical Quality: flac lossless + Booklet Total Time: 00:59:10 Total Size: 297 mb Tracklist --------- 01. Mensa sonora, seu Musica Instrumentalis: Sonata No. 1 in D Major: I. Sonata: Grave-Allegro 02. Mensa sonora, seu Musica Instrumentalis: Sonata No. 1 in D Major: II. Allemanda 03. Mensa sonora, seu Musica Instrumentalis: Sonata No. 1 in D Major: III. Courante 04. Mensa sonora, seu Musica Instrumentalis: Sonata No. 1 in D Major: IV. Sarabanda 05. Mensa sonora, seu Musica Instrumentalis: Sonata No. 1 in D Major: V. Gavotte 06. Mensa sonora, seu Musica Instrumentalis: Sonata No. 1 in D Major: VI. Gigue 07. Mensa sonora, seu Musica Instrumentalis: Sonata No. 1 in D Major: VI. Sonatina: Allegro 08. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 2 in F Major: I. Intrada 09. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 2 in F Major: II. Balletto 10. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 2 in F Major: III. Sarabanda 11. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 2 in F Major: IV. Balletto 12. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 2 in F Major: V. Sarabanda 13. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 2 in F Major: VI. Balletto 14. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Partita No. 3 in A Minor: I. Gagliarda: Allegro 15. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Partita No. 3 in A Minor: II. Sarabanda 16. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Partita No. 3 in A Minor: III. Aria 17. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Partita No. 3 in A Minor: III. Ciacona 18. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Partita No. 3 in A Minor: V. Sonatina 19. Violin Sonata in A Major, Chafe 147: Sonata: Adagio-Presto-Adagio-Presto-Grave 20. Violin Sonata in A Major, Chafe 147: Aria-11 Variations-Aria 21. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 4 in B-Flat Major: I. Sonata 22. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 4 in B-Flat Major: II. Allemanda 23. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 4 in B-Flat Major: III. Courante 24. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 4 in B-Flat Major: IV. Balletto 25. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 4 in B-Flat Major: V. Sarabanda 26. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 4 in B-Flat Major: VI. Gigue: Presto 27. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 4 in B-Flat Major: VII. Sonatina: Adagio 28. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 5 in E Major: I. Intrada: Allegro 29. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 5 in E Major: II. Balletto 30. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 5 in E Major: III. Trezza 31. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 5 in E Major: IV. Gigue 32. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 5 in E Major: V. Gavotte: Alla breve 33. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 5 in E Major: VI. Gigue 34. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 5 in E Major: VII. Retirada 35. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 6 in G Minor: I. Sonata 36. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 6 in G Minor: II. Aria 37. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 6 in G Minor: III. Canario: Presto 38. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 6 in G Minor: IV. Amener 39. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 6 in G Minor: V. Trezza 40. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 6 in G Minor: VI. Ciacona 41. Mensa sonora, seu Musica instrumentalis: Sonata No. 6 in G Minor: VII. Sonatina: Adagio-Presto Mensa sonora, published in Salzburg in 1680, is scored for four-part strings and basso continuo. It consists of six suites of mainly very short dance movements and could be seen as the least substantial of Biber's instrumental collections. But the consistently high level of craftsmanship and imagination transforms what might have been purely functional music. We're continually delighted by Biber's contrapuntal dexterity, by the beautiful sonorities and by the way he introduces a deeper level of expression into the longer movements. There are moments, too, of startling originality – the pointillist treatment of the arpeggio motif at the start of Suite No 3, and the astonishing ending to the last suite, where the musical discourse is broken into smaller and smaller fragments. The Purcell Quartet bring out these and many more facets of the music with playing that's always lively and sweetly tuned. The many decisions on tempo and character are well taken – even the more surprising ones, such as the very moderate, smooth first Gigue in Suite No 5, sound entirely convincing in context. The Violin Sonata comes at the disc's midpoint; its broader canvas, with improvisatory passagework over static bass notes, a toccata-like episode in dotted rhythms and a substantial set of variations, makes an excellent contrast with Mensa sonora's miniature movements. Catherine Mackintosh has this demanding music at her fingertips. Her manner avoids the extravagance of some Baroque violinists but she can be relied on to project the expressive, rhetorical character that's always present in Biber's figuration. Strongly recommended