Ariadne Daskalakis and her Ensemble were due to play Biber’s Mystery Sonatas over three late-night concerts in Bantry this summer. For that special pleasure we must wait until next summer. The two Schmelzer Sonatas ‘Unarum Fidium’ (for one violin) bookend this recital. Schmelzer was considered one of the most famous violinists in Europe in the latter half of the 17th Century and these Sonatas were likely intended for his own use as a performer. He is also thought to have been Biber’s teacher. Bach’s sonatas for violin and harpsichord are less well-known than his solo Sonatas and Partitas. In 1774 his son, CPE Bach, praised them extravagantly: ‘The six harpsichord trios are amongst the finest works of my dearly beloved father. They still sound excellent and give me great pleasure although they are over 50 years old [!!]. There are several Adagios in them which even nowadays could not be set in a more singing style.’ By trio sonata CPE referred to the three voices – violin, harpsichordist’s right hand and the bass played by the left hand with optional support of a viola da gamba.

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