Music review: Biber: The Rosary Sonatas Part I, St Cecilia’s Hall, Edinburgh

Whether or not experiencing Biber’s rather extraordinary Rosary – or Mystery – Sonatas spread over three evenings is the best way to do so, only the rest of this week will tell.

Podger instantly drew in the audience with a sense of storytelling conveyed through an astounding performance

Biber: The Rosary Sonatas Part I, St Cecilia’s Hall, Edinburgh * * * *

As it is, hearing the first five, bracketed as The Joyful Mysteries, left a feeling of being a little short-changed at St Cecilia’s on Tuesday evening. With 15 sonatas in total, the late 17th century work is essentially one continuous journey tracing the mysteries in the life of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

It starts with the Annunciation and finishes with The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin, except the first instalment from the brilliant trio of violinist Rachel Podger, with Marcin Świątkiewicz on harpsichord/chamber organ and Daniele Caminiti on theorbo, called a halt at the 12-year-old Christ being found in the temple.

Nonetheless, Podger instantly drew in the audience with a sense of storytelling conveyed through an astounding performance. Using a technique called scordatura, where the instrument is tuned differently from usual, he wasn’t only incredibly virtuosic but also combined strength of sound with intimacy of engagement.

Tonally going unexpected places, the different tunings were heard to best effect through Podger’s ingenious use of four individually tuned instruments.

Part II and Part III are at St Cecilia’s Hall at 5:30pm today and tomorrow.

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