Instrumental transformations in heinrichbiber's mystery sonatas

Abstract

Each of Heinrich Biber's Mystery Sonatas features a distinct violin tuning. How dothese scordatura relate to standard tuning? How might they affect the sonatas' musical organizationand players' experience? Transformational voice-leading theory helps to reveal overlappingcategories here. Quintal scordatura include adjacent-string fifths, creating zones where notated andsounding intervals match. Chordal scordatura, in which the strings realize a triad, involve moredisplacement. Psychological research on altered pitch feedback suggests that scordatura are mostunseling for players when they preserve aspects of standard tuning. Analyzing scordatura, then,shows how instruments function as spaces for musical action.