Rosenkranz-Sonaten = Sonatas Of The Rosary = Sonates Du Rosaire

The Rosary Sonatas, composed by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber around 1676, represent a pinnacle of seventeenth-century violin music. Originally written to honor the fifteen mysteries of the rosary, the set is celebrated for its virtuosic use of scordatura—a technique where the violin strings are tuned in non-standard configurations to produce specific timbral effects and harmonic colors. By the time of this recording, the works had emerged from relative obscurity to be recognized as one of the most innovative and technically demanding cycles in the baroque repertoire.

This Archiv Produktion release, catalog number SAPM 198 422/23, was a landmark recording featuring violinist Eduard Melkus alongside a distinguished continuo ensemble including Huguette Dreyfus on harpsichord and organ, and Lionel Rogg. Released as part of Archiv’s rigorous historical performance series, the set was praised for its stylistic authenticity and the ensemble's command of the complex scordatura requirements. It remains a foundational reference for the performance of Biber’s work on period instruments.