Wednesday 14 January 2026 7:30pm

Biber 1681

Biber – Sonatas no 1 in A major, no 2 in D minor, no 3 in F major, no 6 in C minor with Sonata representativa

Froberger – Suite in A

Kapsberger – Toccata in D minor

It is a welcome return to Ilkley for Rachel Podger, bringing with her some members of her ensemble Brecon Baroque. These world-class virtuosi from the period-instrument scene specialise in one-to-a-part performances and bring a thrilling immediacy to their playing. Their programme focusses on four of the set of eight violin sonatas with continuo that the Bohemian virtuoso Heinrich Biber published in 1681. These demonstrate his unique compositional and technical ambition and were the foundation of his continuing reputation through the 18th century. Rachel will also be playing Biber’s Sonata representativa, an early example of imitation in music of the sounds of the animal world. And continuing this survey of the early baroque in Germany the harpsichord and theorbo players will give us solo examples of the harpsichord suites of Jakob Froberger (1616-1667) and the even earlier virtuoso theorbo toccatas of Johann Hieronymus Kapsberger(1580-1651).