Sounding board
In contrast to other compositions by Biber, this chamber music is simple and is arranged for two different instrumentations in the present edition.
In 1680, Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644-1704) wrote six suites as table music for his brother, Prince Archbishop Maximilian Gandolf von Kuenburg in Salzburg. They are deliberately not too difficult, in clear forms and do without virtuoso "show effects" - in contrast to most of Biber's instrumental works.
The editor has provided the first two partitas with modern clefs and time signatures. In the Partita I a Largo Sonata encloses the dance movements Allemanda, Courante, Sarabanda, Gavotte and Gigue. In the Partita II an Intrada opens three balletti in alla breve time, separated by two quiet sarabands. As the first viola never takes up the C string, there is an additional second violin part, so these suites could well be played with a string quartet (or orchestra) and continuo. 
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber: Mensa Sonora, Partitas I and II, for violin, 2 violas (2 violins, viola) and basso continuo, edited by Markus Eberhardt, EW 1051, € 19.80, Walhall, Magdeburg
