Silvius Leopold Wiess's Biography

Silvius Leopold Weiss was born in 1687 , in Breslau, Silesia. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most technically accomplished lute players of all times. He learned to play the lute from his father, Johann Jakob, who was also a lute player.

Weiss soon became the leading lute player of Bach's time. He formed an acquaintance J.S Bach. It is speculated that Bach may have written the Lute Suites for Weiss. His virtuosity is best described in this account by JF Reichardt of a competition between Weiss and Bach in Dresden: "Anyone who knows how difficult it is to play harmonic modulations and good counterpoints on the lute will be surprised and full of disbelief to hear from eyes-witnesses that Weiss, the great lute-player, challenged JS Bach, the great harpsichord and organ-player, by playing fantasies and fugues."

Weiss became the highest paid musician of the court orchestra of Dresden. For his solo performances his early compositions use an eleven course lute. In 1719 he switched to a thirteen course lute. Weiss missed half of 1722 after a violinist had almost bit off his thumb, supposedly as an act of vengeance.
Weiss died on October 16th 1750. He left behind around 600 pieces for lute, most of them grouped into 'sonatas' (not to be confused with the later classical sonata, based on sonata form) or suites, which consist mostly of baroque dance pieces. Weiss also wrote chamber pieces and concertos, but only the solo parts have survived.

He was one of the most prolific lute players of the Baroque period.