Biber is generally known as a composer of works for solo violin and scordatura works for that instrument. However, he wrote many sacred choral works and stage pieces as well as numerous works for instrumental ensembles. Among these is the collection, Mensa sonora seu musica instrumentalis for violin, two violas, and basso continuo, published by J. B. Mayr in Salzburg in 1680, a year after Biber had been promoted to vice-Kapellmeister at the Salzburg court. Several manuscripts of the work still exist. Biber's intention was "to tender in all dutifulness the noble jewel of homophony, concordant with obedient and humble veneration," to his Salzburg patron, Archbishop Maximilian Gandolph, Count Khüenburg. Biber's numerous publications and performances outside Salzburg in the early 1680s suggest he was shamelessly promoting his talents in order to petition for knighthood from Emperor Leopold, before whom Biber performed on at least two occasions.

The full title of the Mensa sonora translates roughly as, "The Sonorous Table, or Instrumental Table Music." Thus, the suites of Mensa sonora are in the tradition of Tafelmusik, composed as background to a social occasion. They also serve as a example of one of Biber's compositions in the sonata da camera style. The Mensa sonora requires less technique than his scordatura pieces or the Fidicinium sacro-profanum of 1683. Here, violin virtuosity steps aside for compositional virtuosity.

Each of the six partitas in the Mensa sonora is a series of stylized dance movements; some begin with a sonata or "intrada" movement (Pars 1-2, 4-6) and end with a sonatina or "retirada" (Pars 1, 3-6). The first, in D major, is a French suite sandwiched between two Germanic outer movements: Sonata, Allamanda, Courante, Sarabanda, Gavotte, Gigue, Sonatina. In F major, the second suite consists of an Intrada and alternating Balletto and Sarabande movements. The third, in A minor, is a more eclectic assemblage of dances: Gagliarda, Sarabanda, Aria, Ciacona, Sonatina.

Some scholars have suggested that the presence of a "learned" Ciacona in the third and sixth suites indicates that the set is in two parts of three suites each. The key relationships, however, do not support this, because the third, in B flat major (Sonata, Allamanda, Courante, Balletto, Sarabanda, Gigue, Sonatina), is not harmonically related to the fifth, in A major (Intrada, Balletto, Trezza, Gigue, Gavotte, Gigue, Retirada). The most unusual combination of dances appears in the sixth, in G minor: Sonata, Aria, Canario, Amener, Trezza, Ciacona, Sonatina.

Most curious is Biber's use of the "canario," an Italian dance with roots in the sixteenth century and danced in Austrian courts during Biber's time. Other examples of the "canario" appear in Biber's Balletti à 6 and his Harmonia Artificioso-Ariosa. Described by Biber's contemporaries as and "exotic, bizarre dance," the canario is in 3/4 and usually begins on the first beat of the measure with a dotted figure. It was a quick and difficult dance, and its inclusion in these dance suites by Biber is indicative of his cosmopolitan approach to composition.

© All Music Guide

Part 3 in A-, C.71

Mensa Sonora (Sonorous Table) is a publication by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber comprising six partitas for four strings and continuo. The name is fancy Latin for "Tafelmusik" or "Table-Music": background music.

The host was Prince-Archbishop Maximilian Gandolph von Khüenberg, the secular and religious rule of Salzburg, Austria. Biber had been in his employ since 1670, starting as a chamber valet with musical extra duties. He rose rapidly both in rank, and social standing. (Ultimately, he petitioned the Holy Roman Emperor for a patent of nobility and eventually got himself on, permitting him to style himself as "Biber von Bibern," though he is often called "von Biber.")

When Biber wrote Mensa Sonora he had already distinguished himself in large-scale religious works, stunningly virtuosic violin solo music and playing, and brilliantly scored large ensemble pieces. This relatively much more simple music served to buttress his future position at the Archbishop's court against the competition of a fellow musician-composer on the staff, Georg Muffat. It showed that in addition to the above, Biber could write admirable music that humbly kept its place yet succeeded in being diverting to the Archbishop's guests. It probably helped Biber get his promotion to Kapellmeister in 1684 despite the competition of Georg Muffat, an important Baroque composer who was also on Gandolph's musical staff at the time.

The main content of the six sonatas in Mensa Sonora is its succession of movements in dance rhythms, though these are stylized and not meant for actual dancing. It is the only one of the six sonatas that does not begin with a sonata or intrada movement, and is only five movements long (all the others have six). On the other hand, its penultimate movement, a ciaccona, is the longest individual movement in the whole collection, so this piece still comes out at over nine minutes long.

The first movement is a lively gagliarda marked Allegro. Its strong accents also mark moments when clever imitation in inner voices answers the top line.

The second movement is a sarabanda. Originating as a slow courtly dance, movements with this designation are almost invariably in minor mode. The sadness of the melody and harmonies is particularly touching in contrast to the formal, stately pace.

Although designated an aria, the middle movement is a lively and very short piece with active imitative counterpoint.

Musicologists speculate that the presence of a longish ciaccona at nearly the end of the third and sixth sonatas indicates that Biber intended the musicians to take a break after both movements, since the ciaccona provides a decisive conclusion. A ciaccona is a set of variations on a harmonic pattern and bass line the goes on while the chords keep repeating. This one is rich, with the variations consisting of excellent elaborations on the main theme.

The finale is a very brier fast piece. Its liveliness, since the finality of the ciaccona might not have been noticed by some, was to draw the attention to the fact that the partita was over.

© Joseph Stevenson, Rovi

Part 4 in Bb, C.72

This is charming music written to be Taffelmusik (dinner music) at the court of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, but it also is a superior example of inner-voice writing and the art of composing light, diverting and unassuming music that is also highly worth paying attention to.

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644 - 1709) was a virtuoso violinist. Some who have analyzed the scores left by violinist composers for their difficulty say that he was probably the best violinist of his century. Mensa Sonora (Sonorous Table) proves that he could still write top-flight music in a simpler style that did not interfere with his employer's dinner parties by drawing too much attention to itself. This might have been planned to head off growing interest on the part of the Archbishop in the talents of a younger musician on the staff, a fine composer in his own right, Georg Muffat.

The collection comprises six partitas. The tonic keys of the six are D, F, A minor, B flat, E, and G minor. This breaks the series down into two sets of three, each ending in a key of the minor. But there is an anomaly: While the first set's home keys spell the D minor chord, the keys of the other spell out an inverted diminished chord. Musical theory of the time disliked the tritone interval (such as B flat to E), so many commentators have suggested that the E is a mistake and should have been E flat. (Or why not make this partita in C? Both suggestions result in the three final partitas spelling out a major chord.)

As is the case in all but one of the partitas, this fourth one consists of a set of movements in dance rhythms (put pretty obviously not meant to be danced to), preceded and followed by an introductory and a valedictory movement.

The first movement is marked Sonata. (Grave; Allegro; Adagio). The opening slow section is like a formal invitation in chordal texture, just a phrase or two to sneak the music in. Most of the movement is livelier, with clever imitation in its four well-devised voices. The final Adagio section is short and simply balances the brief opening.

The next movement is an Allemanda. Its melody is fanfare-like, and it has a light-footed skipping rhythm.

The ensuing Courant is also lively, but in a triple time. An unusual string of fast movements continues with a Balletto, very brief, and quite fast.

For a change of pace (and the only real slow movement in this set), Biber next adds a Sarabanda, the longest movement. As always with Sarabandes, the movement is stately, but there is little of the sad quality often associated with the genre. Unusually, this movement has little counterpoint, but is instead a florid violin movement.

Fast music returns with a very lively Gigue marked Presto. Biber balances the partita with a closing Sonatina in Adagio tempo, essentially answering the slow portions of the opening movement.

© Joseph Stevenson, All Music Guide