Biber’s Passacaglia
solo violin, Yanis Eberhart
Dating from around 1676, the Rosary Sonatas (also known as the Mystery Sonatas) are a collection of 15 short sonatas for violin and continuo, with a final passacaglia for solo violin, written by the revered Bohemian-Austrian 17th century composer Heinrich Biber.
A passacaglia is a serious musical form and slow dance originating in 17th-century Spain and Italy, built on a repeating bass line with continuous variations. The name comes from Spanish pasar (to walk) and calle (street), originally meaning a street song or walk.