Biber-Sonata 16 (Guardian Angel, guide of Mankind) Peter Sheppard Skaerved-Stradivari 1698 (modern set up) the same, live in Nashville, September 2011, with Airenti ‘Biber’ bow Series of test recordings-various bridge positions to fit different scordature. recordings just from internal laptop mike. 25th July-Sonata six (Christ on the Mount of Olives)-A flat, E flat, G, [...]
July 8, 2011
In the summer of 2011, began a project with the Tennessee-based composer, Paul Osterfield. Hewrote a series of 24 Caprices for me, and there was a wonderful to and fro of ideas-he finished the set, astonishingly, in a month, and I gave performances of the Caprices in the US and the UK, in the following [...]
June 10, 2011
In 1866, Joseph Joachim visted the ‘Kensington Museum, which today we know as the Victoria and Albert. He was particular impressed by a wax cast taken from a clay model by Michelangelo in the Casa Buonarotti, Florence. This is sometimes regarded as a study a) for a Hercules and Cacus group commissioned in 1528, b) for [...]
May 24, 2011
The Bow Exploded A temporary Exhibition A Bow made in 1982 by Stephen Bristow. Performance wear Any bow bears the marks of its usage, from the constant fraying away of the bow hair, to the less recognised indications of specialised techniques, such as the scratches on the top part of the stick caused by [...]
May 14, 2011
Nielsen-’Preludio e Presto’ per Violino solo. (Workshop recordings-Peter Sheppard Skaerved August 2011) Presto- ”I believe in the power of Thought over Death. I once heard a famous composer say: Ah, those damned predecessors, how we are always at war with them! But Lightning blasted him at the same moment, and he was an invalid [...]
May 8, 2011
NOVEMBER 12-13-14-15 -Kreutzer Quartet at Conenct Festival 12th November 2011 Pre-workship session in the Caroli Kirke:We arrived in Malmo today to meet with the wonderful group of composers who have contributed to this project. Today was not the workshop itself, but an opportunity to open the door to the exploring the wonderful set of [...]
April 23, 2011
MTSU Collaboration Nigel Clarke and Peter Sheppard Skærved (Violin) have just completed a week’s residency at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). The residency, by invitation of Dr Reed Thomas from MTSU, saw Nigel conducting his large scale wind orchestra work `Gagarin’ to mark the 50th anniversary of the first manned space flight by the Russian [...]
April 4, 2011
Two Days in Skopje (posted Monday March 28th) I am just about to leave Macedonia after two inspiring days at the Days of Macedonian Music (DMM) with the Kreutzers. We played three concerts (23 works) in two days, all of them surrounded by the treasures of the Archaeological Museum. It was a great chance for [...]
March 8, 2011
Ludwig van Beethoven – ( Ludwig van Beethoven by Lazarus Gottlieb Sichling, after Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller line engraving, (1823) Beethoven never managed to visit London, but, by the end of his life, had become as influential a member of the arts community there as any other composer. This was partially due to the foundation of [...]
March 8, 2011
Jelly D’Aranyi by Charles Geoffroy-Dechaume oil on canvas, 1920s? Bela Bartok-Second Sonata (1922) Dedicated to Jelly d’Aranyi Live Performance-Aaron Shorr-Piano, Peter Sheppard Skaerved-Violin (Stradivari 1698 ‘Joachim’) Wiltons Music Hall July 11th 2011 Engineer-Colin Still (Optic Nerve) 1st Movement- Jelly d’Aranyi was the great niece of Joseph Joachim. This became a mystical communication through Jelly’s use [...]
July 17, 2011