Short bio Thomas Baltzar
Full biography Thomas Baltzar
Thomas Baltzar was a German violinist and composer who lived in the early to mid-17th century. He was born in Lübeck in around 1630 to a musical family and quickly showed a talent for playing the violin. Baltzar became well-known throughout Europe for his virtuoso performances on the violin, and he is credited with inventing scordatura tuning, a technique in which the strings of a violin are tuned differently to create particular effects.
Baltzar settled in London in the mid-1650s, where he became a regular performer for the English royal court. He was a popular performer and inspired many composers of the time to write music specifically for his virtuoso playing. Unfortunately, Baltzar died at a young age in July 1663, at around 33 years old.
Despite his relatively short life, Baltzar left a significant legacy in both the music he composed and the techniques he developed. Today, he is remembered as one of the key figures in the development of the solo violin repertoire, and his music continues to be studied and performed by musicians around the world.
Compositions featuring Thomas Baltzar
| # | Name | Duration | Genre | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prelude | 1:44 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | - |
| 2 | The Division Violin | Miscellaneous (Classical) | - | |
| 3 | Suite in C minor | 10:45 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 4 | Senior Balshar's Division on a Ground | 7:17 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 5 | Sarabande for violin in G minor | 1:44 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 6 | Sarabande for violin in C major | 1:38 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 7 | Sarabande for violin in B flat major | 2:41 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 8 | Sarabande for violin in A major (scordatura tuning) | 0:24 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 9 | Prelude for violin No. 2 in G major | 2:11 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 10 | Prelude for violin No. 1 in G major | 3:36 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 11 | Prelude for violin in G major (in John Playford's "The Division Violin") | 3:10 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 12 | Prelude for violin in C minor | 1:45 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 13 | Allemande & Variations for violin in G minor | 3:25 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 14 | Pavan and Galliard in C | 5:33 min | Orchestral | - |
| 15 | John come kiss me now | 4:41 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | - |
| 16 | Courante for violin in G minor | 1:54 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 17 | Courante for violin in A major (scordatura tuning) | 0:46 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 18 | Allemande, for solo violin | 2:35 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 19 | Allemande for violin No. 2 in A major (scordatura tuning) | 1:08 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 20 | Allemande for violin No. 1 in A major (scordatura tuning) | 0:53 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 21 | Allemande for violin in C minor | 3:54 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 22 | Allemande for violin in C major | 1:54 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 23 | Allemande for violin in B flat major | 1:59 min | Chamber Music | - |
Albums featuring Thomas Baltzar
| # | Сover | Name album | Year | Music label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Baltzar, Westhoff, Biber, Bach, Annegret Siedel – Johann Sebastian Bachs Wegbereiter: Musik Für Violine Solo(CD, Album) | 2019 | Musicaphon |
| 2 |  |
John Jenkins (5), William Lawes, Christopher Simpson (2), Thomas Baltzar, Solomon Eccles, John Banister (2) - Musicke & Mirth – Division-Musick(CD, ) | 2012 | Ramée |
| 3 |  |
Ruth Ziesak, Christian Geist, Dieterich Buxtehude, Johann Vierdanck, Franz Tunder, Johann Adam Reincken, Christoph Bernhard (2), Thomas Baltzar, Samuel Ebart, Berliner Barock-Compagney – Geistliche Arien(CD, Stereo) | - | Capriccio Digital |
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