10 Apr 2022

Baroque violinist Anne Loeser

From Standing Room Only, 1:33 pm on 10 April 2022
Anne Loeser

Anne Loeser Photo: supplied

Anne Loeser's baroque violin

Anne Loeser's baroque violin Photo: supplied

In what she believes to be a first for Aotearoa, violinist Anne Loeser is about to play the entire cycle of Heinrich Biber's 17th century Rosary Sonatas for violin and continuo..

It's such a marathon, she'll be playing it over three evenings.

Anne is a first violinist in  the NZSO, but she also plays baroque violin, which is what she'll be using for the marathon event.

Two other musicians will be performing with Anne and she'll also need a dedicated violin-tech backstage, because every sonata demands that the violin be re-tuned and even mistuned.

Lynn Freeman asked Anne why playing the full cycle is such a daunting prospect for a violinist:

The performance of Heinrich Biber's Rosary Sonatas for violin and continuo at St Mary's of the Angels in Wellington, starts on Wednesday, continuing on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

i. "The Joyful Mysteries"                                                                           Wednesday 13 April, 7pm
II. "The Sorrowful Mysteries"                                                                    Good Friday 15 April, 7pm
III. "The Glorious Mysteries" and Passacaglia "The Guardian Angel"  Easter Sunday 17 April, 7pm