Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber may have been the finest violinist of the 17th century. He was also a highly innovative composer whose works have gained prominence in the repertory since the historical performance movement began. His compositions stand as some of the most startlingly advanced music of the Baroque era. Biber's manuscripts and publications record violin improvisations in unprecedented detail, and sometimes with such a high level of difficulty that few violinists attempt to master them. In his Mystery, or Rosenkranz sonatas, Biber makes extensive use of scordatura, violin re-tunings that change the tonal character of the instrument and make "impossible" figurations possible. Biber also composed sacred vocal works. A standout piece is his 15-part Requiem, an expressive and harmonically adventurous mass that eschews the sobriety of the text in favor of glorious antiphonal choral textures., Rovi