Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber - Passacaglia

Nigel North, Lute

This is Nigel North's lute arrangement of an astonishing passacaglia by the 17th century composer Biber.  It is the last movement of his Mystery Sontas.  Biber was a religious mystic as well as a virtuoso violinist and composer. 

Here is the tablature of  a different "free arrangement" by Arto Wikler which is somewhat different from Norths but which gives an idea of the originality and grandeur of the piece. This page contains a link to that arrangement and another for six strings. 

Here is a recording of a very fine violinist Elicia Silverstein playing the original on a baroque violin.

Here is a modern score for it.