In April 2014 at Carnegie's Zankel Hall, Augustin Hadelich's performance of David Lang's Mystery Sonatas was praised by the New York Times as a "magnificent demonstration of assurance and control." This same magic permeates this splendid recording of the work played by Hadelich on the incredible Stradivari "ex-Kiesewetter" from 1723, which its owners lent to him in 2011. Lang based his Mystery Sonatas on famous works by Biber, but with a more modern twist. "I decided to create my own virtuosic works about my most intimate and spiritual thoughts," he explained, "but mine are not about Jesus, and the violin is not re-tuned between movements. I kept this distinction inspired by Biber's works. He divides the life of Jesus into three phases: the joyful, the sorrowful, and the glorious. The central works of my Mystery Sonatas are titled 'joy,' 'sorrow,' and 'glory,' but they all reflect calm, internal, and contemplative states of mind."