Music and Vinyl: Biber - Battalia à 10

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber was a violinist and composer born in Bohemia and who worked largely in Salzburg, Austria, where he was appointed lord high steward by the Archbishop. His development of violin techniques and composing ranks him as one of the most important Baroque composers in this regard.

In the work represented here Biber also presents himself as a composer before his time, as the Battalia includes such "20th Century" techniques as polytonality, prepared instruments (modified with objects inserted between the strings) and pizzicato techniques more akin to those Bartok specified.

The description on Allmusic is a good summary of the music:

Composed in 1673, this highly unusual piece "mit Arien imitirt undt Baccho dedieirt" (imitated with Airs and dedicated to Bacchus) depicts the goings-on at an army camp. It opens with strings and continuo (harpsichord and bass) playing military, trumpet- and drum-like motifs, during which the bodies of the instruments are tapped for a drum-like effect (!). Then, true to Biber's ever inventive and humorous spirit, there follows a section called "Das liederliche Schwärmen der Musquetier" [The Dissolute Revelling of Musketeers] in which 8 drunken musketeers are depicted as singing songs from their homelands: it is remarked (in Latin) in the score that "here all parts are dissonant, for various songs are shouted together at the same time", and in fact all 8 tunes are played in a cacophony of 8 different keys at the same time (!). In the next section depicting a gentlemen's fencing match, two pizzicato notes (a fifth apart) sound like polite lunges with clashes of metal on metal. As if these weren't illustrative enough, the next section "Mars" [March] is for "prepared" bass (!) with violin solo - to imitate the sound of a marching drum, a piece of paper is stuck between the strings of the bass*. [This march originally appeared in Biber's violin sonata "Repraesentatio Avium".] Next comes a rhythmically spirited piece in triple meter, a horse riding tune. A lovely melody follows, a farewell of a warrior to his family, which both sings in steady notes, and then sobs slightly in dotted figures. Next comes "Die Schlacht" [The Battle], which features heavily snapped strings (á la Bartok*) (!) to imitate artillery, with the higher strings playing fast repeated propulsive figures, like riding into battle. Naturally, there next appears a "Lamento der Verwundten" [Lament of the Wounded], which includes high notes played with little vibrato (indicating pain) and very unusual chord progressions, just before the cadential points, giving the impression of a musketeer slowly losing his life energy.

[ * See the video at the foot of this page ]

This recording from 1965 is by Concentus Musicus of Vienna, directed by Nikolaus Harnoncourt - musicians who were a mainstay of Deutsche Grammophon's Archiv label. As a student in London in the 1970s I used to frequent the library near the university where there was a large record collection for loan, and I was fascinated with Archiv recordings. They were presented in such a scholarly manner - different Research Periods, and Series within these. Notes on the composers, music, the editions, and the instruments were erudite, and you had the feeling that each LP was a historical document in itself. Early Archiv recordings shunned cover images. This issue of music from Biber and Muffet is a slightly later issue - the cover's colour had changed from cream to a silver grey, and a small monochrome image had appeared. Later, colour images would be used, and then full cover images - rather diluting the "brand" in my opinion, but no doubt done to make the records stand out more in the racks of record shops.

This particular copy, is from a box set reissue of Classic Recordings from 1956 - 1982. Each of the five records - click on the image below - is in a facsimile sleeve (though not gatefold unfortunately - the sleeve notes are all in the accompanying booklet), and pressed in 180gm vinyl.