Virtuoso Faceoff = HEINRICH BIBER: Sonata in A; Sonata in c; Sonata in D; GEORG MUFFAT: Toccata II; Toccata VII; Passacaglia in g; Sonata in D – Alba

Virtuoso Faceoff = HEINRICH BIBER: Sonata in A; Sonata in c; Sonata in D; GEORG MUFFAT: Toccata II; Toccata VII; Passacaglia in g; Sonata in D – Petri Tapio Mattson, violin/ Markku Makinen, organ/ Eero Palviainen, archlute – Alba multichannel SACD 311, 73:46 [Distr. by Albany] ****:
Georg Muffat (1653-1704) and Heinrich Biber (1644-1704) were in many ways polar opposites competing for the same post of Hofkapellmeister in the Salzburg court. They were both among the most talented, popular, and compelling musicians of their day, though one must on all counts give the cosmopolitan award to Muffat, who mastered the French and Italian styles of composition and who’s extroverted organ works became the staples of the day. Biber, best known nowadays for his widely-acclaimed (and rightly so) Rosary Sonatas was not of the same family pedigree that Muffat enjoyed, but nonetheless adopted the prevailing south German Catholic culture to a much higher degree, and infused a high measure of Counter-Reformation mystical piety in his music in a rather unprecedented manner.
This album purports to initiate a “faceoff” between the two that most likely never occurred between them in person, though there was a ten-year period where the rivalry for the affections of the Archbishop of Salzburg may have occasioned at least some public curiosity. Musically speaking, to my mind anyway, there was no contest—Biber wins hands down on a head to head comparison between the two, always embracing the last degree of complexity and harmonic brilliance that Muffat – while not ignoring – uses in a way that is not quite as demonstrative or shocking. The organ works on this disc are all quite striking in their originality and flavor, but it is Biber who continues to dazzle with his violin pieces even though the best composition on this disc by Muffat happens to be the one violin work included, a nicely essayed Sonata in D.
This is a beautifully-captured recording with excellent surround spread proving once again how much chamber music benefits from Super Audio.  The performers are first class and highly skilled, providing us with sterling examples of Baroque playing. This is an easy recommendation.
— Steven Ritter