Revolution LINK to Viotti in Washington The French revolution depended on music, and musicians, to spread its message, like no political movement before. For hundreds of years, the Church had relied on music for its propagandising; choir schools had trained generations of young singers and instrumentalists. With the early Revolution, the Church and the officer [...]
October 20, 2011
20 10 2011 Washington: Today I spent a couple of hours in the reading room of the Music Division of the Library of Congress. I was working my way through the Maia Bang Hohn collection. Here are things that excited, with my own commentaries, as I read. Maia Bang Hohn collection-Library of Congress. Box [...]
October 20, 2011
Giovanni Battista Viotti-Suonata Suonata: coll’accompagnamento d’un basso per esser ambedue parti suonate par un violino solo Live Performance. Peter Sheppard Skaerved-Stradivari ‘Betts’ Library of Congress, Washington DC May 9th 2009 The violinists of the revolutionary generation produced a large number of works for solo violin without basso continuo or chamber accompaniment. They provided the impetus [...]
May 11, 2011
Brahms to Hanslick 11th December 1888: ‘Dear Friend. If tomorrow, Friday at eleven o’clock, you haven’t anything better to do, perhaps you would like to come and help Hubay and myself turn pages and play wrong notes-perhaps also to drink a good glass? Cordially yours, Johannes Brahms. Regenlied- Karl Groth Wie die Kelche, die [...]
April 12, 2011
Pierre Rode inspired Beethoven to write his most lyrical G Major Sonata Op 96, which Rode premiered in Vienna at Christmas 1812. The first truly international French violinist to emerge from this environment was Pierre Rode. Following the writing of the Méthode, Rode was barely to be found in Paris, but was permanently on tour. [...]
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 [...]
March 8, 2011
George Bernard Shaw – (George Bernard Shaw by Sir (John) Bernard Partridge watercolour, circa 1925 ) George Bernard Shaw’s alter ego as a music critic, was corno di bassetto, (bassett horn). This polymath genius’s influence on music, over 70 years of writing about it, was such that, had he not written another word save that [...]
March 8, 2011
Yehudi Menuhin and Eric Fenby – (Eric William Fenby; Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin by Unknown photographer resin print, 1970s ) Yehudi Menuhin and Eric Fenby standing together: one composer’s amanuensis working with a transformative violinist. Fenby enabled the blind Delius to write his wonderful late works, especially the radiant 3rd Sonata, and then passed the flame [...]
March 8, 2011
Priaulx Rainier – (Priaulx Rainier by George Newson bromide fibre print, 18 October 1984 ) Click on Highlighted words for Links The closest which the trail-blazing composer, Priaulx Rainier enjoyed to a community of like minded artists was afforded her when she took up the invitation to take a studio in St Ives, where she [...]
October 22, 2011