Stylus Fantas­ticus

Tonight’s music seems almost self-explana­tory — Stylus Fantas­ticus stands for impro­vi­sa­tion, dramatic playing, freedom of form and expres­sion. This style orig­i­nated in the 17th century in Italy, the nucleus of the Baroque period, and spread to Austria and Germany.

In Innsbruck, the art-loving prince, Archduke Ferdinand Karl, had a comedy house built between 1652 and 1654, i.e. an opera house with permanent staff for opera and drama. Many Italian composers and musicians found employ­ment and a place to work there. This included Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli (1624 – 1687), one of the most enigmatic figures of the Baroque era. His music is eccentric, fiery, sorrowful, overjoyed, capti­vating and completely unpre­dictable. He composed his unique and sometimes bizarre violin sonatas there in 1660. What a pity that only Opus 3 and 4 have survived!

A few years later, Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644 – 1704) found his musical home in Salzburg, not far from Innsbruck, where he was employed at the court of Arch­bishop Max Gandolf von Kuenburg. His music is also committed to the fantastic style. The violin sonatas were written in 1681 and are full of magnif­i­cent preludes, beautiful, singable arias and their vari­a­tions and eccentric twists. An adventure too!

We hope you enjoy listening to this fantastic music!
Daniel Sepec