Peter Sheppard
Skærved www.peter-sheppard-skaerved.com
is the dedicatee of well over two hundred works for solo violin, by composers
such as George Rochberg, Judith Weir, Michael Finnissy, and Hans Werner Henze.
He regularly appears as soloist in over thirty countries. His discography is
extensive, ranging from cycles of sonatas by Beethoven and Telemann, the
complete quartets of David Matthews, Michael Tippett and cycles of concerti
from Haydn to Henze.
He has won awards from the BBC Music Magazine, been
nominated for a Gramophone Award, as well as a GRAMMY for a concerto recording
in 2007. Director of an acclaimed series of concerts at Wiltons Music Hall in
London, Skærved is the founder and leader of the Kreutzer Quartet and the
Munich-based Ensemble Triolog. He regularly appears as director and soloist
with ensembles such as the Zagreb Soloists and Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen.
Skærved is the only British violinist to have been invited
to play on Paganini’s il Cannone
violin more than once and regularly gives recitals on the prestigious
collection of historic instruments at the Library of Congress, Washington. He
is also acclaimed for his collaborative work with museums, working regularly
with the British Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Galleries, Victoria
and Albert Museum and worldwide. He
plays on a 1698 Stradivari owned by Joseph Joachim from the collection of the
Royal Academy of Music, where he is the Fellow of Performance Studies.
Now Peter Sheppard
Skærved has made the first in a series of recordings for Athene Records (part
of the Divine Art Recording Group) www.divine-art.co.uk/DAhome.htm called
The Great Violins. On this first volume
he plays an Andrea Amati violin made in 1570 from the collection of the Royal
Academy of Music, London in 24 Fantasies by Georg Philipp Telemann.
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| 2CD ath 23203 |
George Philipp
Telemann’s (1681-1767) 12 Fantasies for Violin TWV 40:14-25 were published
in Hamburg in 1725. In the largo of No.1 in B flat major Skærved is
delightful in the way he slowly draws out such fine timbres and textures with some
Bachian influences showing through. We are gently lifted into the Allegro before building with through
some terrific moments. There is a lovely weaving of rich textures in Grave before the Allegro where Skærved brings
some fine varied phrasing. No. 2 in G
major has an exquisitely laid out Largo
revealing so much before we are taken gently into the Allegro where there are some very fine passages, with such a light
touch. The final Allegro brings some
fine flourishes with terrific phrasing.
The Adagio of No. 3 in F minor reveals so many fine
textures from this lovely instrument before a Presto with a subtle
rhythmic impulse. In the Grave-Vivace, I particularly love the
way this violinist varies the bowing, bringing a multitude of textures and timbres
with subtle dynamics. There is a sunny, brilliant opening Vivace to No. 4 in D major
with some terrific double stopping before the Grave brings a lovely freedom of expression. Skærved fairly bounces
into the Allegro, an intoxicating
theme in his hands bringing much to delight.
The opening Allegro –
Presto – Allegro of No. 5 in A major
brings phenomenally brilliant playing
from Skærved before a Presto full of
freedom and playfulness, a brief but beautifully done Andante and a terrific Allegro
full of the finest twists and turns brilliantly executed by this fine violinist.
After a wistful Grave, No. 6 in E minor the
Presto is beautifully done before a
lovely transition into a beautifully shaped
Siciliana, Skærved bringing a
gentle singing quality and revealing so many fine textures and timbres. The
final Allegro builds finely with more
lovely details and textures.
With No. 7 in E flat
major Skærved reveals a melancholy side to the Dolce before a vibrant Allegro,
full of crisp phrasing, revealing new aspects of this instrument’s lovely
sound. There are some very fine
sonorities in the largo before the
crisp phrasing of the Presto with
more lovely variations of tempi. No. 8 in E major has a melancholy Piacevolmente with lovely little faster
phrases before the Spirituoso that races
ahead, full of fine flexibility and some fine sonorities The concluding Allegro has a fine flow with more terrific
phrasing.
No. 9 in B minor brings
another fine Siciliana beautifully done by this violinist before a bright and
fluent Vivace, beautifully shaped and
phrased and an Allegro that has a
fine rhythmic bounce. Again Skærved shapes and phrases so well in the Presto of No. 10 in D major. The Largo
is sensitively done, full of fine touches before an Allegro that is full of panache.
The Un poco Vivace of
No. 11 in F major brings some very
fine sonorities from Skærved and his lovely instrument whilst Soave is exquisitely drawn. The third
movement Un poco Vivace receives such
fine phrasing, control of dynamics and tempi before an Allegro that is full of energy and panache. Absolutely terrific.
Peter Sheppard Skærved
brings a very fine Moderato to
open No.12 in A minor, finely phrased
and nuanced with fine sonorities. There is a lovely rhythmic Vivace before an attractive Presto to which this artist brings a
slightly folksy feel.
If I have spoken more about Skærved’s playing than the
lovely Amati violin it is merely because these are such fine performances. Yet
it is surely the winning combination of fine instrument and superb violinist
that makes this such a rewarding experience.
A special delight here is to have Telemann’s 12 Flute Fantasies TWV 40: 2-13, published
in Hamburg in 1732–33, played on the Amati violin in a world premiere
recording. In his excellent booklet notes Peter Sheppard Skærved tells us that
composers such as Telemann, taking advantage of the extraordinary expressive
and colouristic opportunities of the flute of the time, also had aspects of the
violin at the back of their minds. He gives the example of the placing or tuning
of ‘open strings.’ These are present throughout the works as, in order to keep
within the compass of the flute, the works never go below D, a tone above
middle C, an open string on the violin; or above E, two octaves and a tone
higher, which is the ringing ‘harmonic’ on the violin.
No. 1 in A major opens
with a lovely Vivace, beautifully shaped
before an Adagio-Allegro that has some
very lovely little phrases finely revealed here by Skærved before running into
the concluding Allegro. A beautifully
formed Grave opens No. 2 in A minor before the Vivace leads into a nicely paced, light
textured Adagio revealing some fine
textures and sonorities. The final Allegro
is delightful and brilliantly played, full of fine ideas.
Skærved weaves through the Largo-Vivace-Largo-Vivace of No.
3 in B minor with a lovely natural flow before an Allegro full of rhythmic bounce. No. 4 in B flat major has a finely textured Andante before an Allegro
that receives incisive bowing and lovely phrasing combined with fine textures.
The concluding Presto has some beautifully
shaped little details.
Skærved moves
seamlessly through the varying tempi in the opening Presto-Largo-Presto-Dolce of No.
5 in C major before developing some fine rhythms and great phrasing in the
succeeding Allegro. The final Allegro brings a lovely little tune
with some terrific added details and sonorities. There is a lovely spaciously
drawn Dolce that opens No. 6 in D minor with an Allegro that follows perfectly with a
lovely rhythmically changing flow, perfectly done. The concluding Spirituoso moves ahead quickly with a
lovely tone from Skærved, with moments of fine timbre and sonorities.
The Alla Francese
of No. 7 in D major allows this violinist
to display so many aspects of his instrument and technique before a lovely,
delicately done Presto with some fine
incisive moments. The nature of the writing for flute brings some very fine textured passages from the higher range of Skærved’s
Amati violin in the Largo of No. 8 in E minor before a finely
controlled Spirituoso and an Allegro that brings a rhythmic lilt.
No.9 in E major opens
with a slow, beautifully drawn Affetuoso,
quite lovely. There are many fine touches from Skærved in the following Allegro before a lovely little Grave. This violinist really leaps into
the Vivace with some terrific,
rhythmic playing.
There is a gently shaped A
Tempo giusto to open No.10 in F sharp
minor with a lovely flow and beautiful phrasing. There is a rhythmic,
beautifully pointed Presto with a
terrific coda before a Moderato to
which this violinist brings a free, improvisatory feel.
The Allegro of No. 11 in G major brings some lovely
rich sonorities as it unfolds before an Adagio-Vivace
that moves from its slow opening into a light and breezy Vivace, really pushing ahead before the Allegro that has great panache. The Grave-Allegro of No. 12 in G minor opens with some fine textures before the Allegro takes off and speeds to a
lovely, spontaneous little Dolce. There
is an incisive little Allegro before
the Presto brings some lovely moments,
full of fine details, textures and timbres.
There is no doubt that these violin performances of the Flute
Fantasies work extremely well in their own right with Peter Sheppard Skærved drawing
some fine sounds from his Amati violin.
Whilst the equal star of this show is the 1570 Andrea Amati violin,
it is this violinist’s ability to draw so many fine details, timbres and
textures that makes these such fine performances.
There is no doubt that in Skærved’s hands this is a glorious
instrument. The recording is in a class of its own, detailed and spacious,
giving one the feeling of being in the presence of spontaneous music making.
There are excellent notes from Peter Sheppard Skærved as
well as details of the instrument and bow. The well-illustrated booklet is of
the usual high standard we have come to expect from the Divine Art Recordings
Group.
This looks set to be a satisfying and rewarding series.
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