Pavlo Beznosiuk, Richard Tunnicliffe, Paula Chateauneuf, David Roblou - Biber: The Rosary Sonatas (2004)

Bohemian Catholic composer Heinrich Biber was arguably the most distinguished 17th century composer of instrumental music for the church. His output was not extensive but it was extraordinary, especially his best-known opus, The Rosary Sonatas of the 1670s. Depicting the 15 mysteries of the rosary, these works are remarkable for their vivid programmatic nature, the use of extended techniques such as scordatura (retuning of the violin strings), and virtuostic writing (Biber himself was an accomplished violinist).

, who has been described as a virtuostic artist with “star quality” whose “playing is full of fantasy”, is joined by an ensemble of England’s leading period-instrument performers. Avie's version is unique for its inclusion of the spoken texts which would have been read during Rosary devotions in the 1670s, here eloquently delivered by well-known television and stage actor Timothy West.