Biber was one of the most important composers for the violin in the history of the instrument. His technique allowed him to easily reach the 6th and 7th positions, employ multiple stops in intricate polyphonic passages, and explore the various possibilities of scordatura tuning. During Biber’s lifetime, his music was known and imitated throughout Europe. In the late 18th century he was named the best violin composer of the 17th century by music historian Charles Burney. Today, he is widley performed and recorded.

These 12 duets have been directly transcribed for use on two trumpets. They work well on Bb or C trumpet, and can be used to great effect in studio practice and performance. I particularly like to use these as transposition practice, as the diatonic nature of music of this period lends itself well to working out transposition issues.

I have included the first bit in the samples for you to try. Then you can grab an immediate PDF download above.