Reflections on playing Beethoven Op 132 30 11 19 Writing about performance is necessarily reflective. In my case, I finish a concert, travel home, and then sink into a black of hole of ‘I am never going to play again’ which is the corollary to the momentary rush of optimism experienced between the final notes […]
November 27, 2019
Beethoven and Haydn – Two late works . A player’s perspective. https://www.ticketsoxford.com/whats-on/all-shows/feeling-new-strength-string-quartets-and-the-voice/13406This was written as a programme article for the Kreutzer ‘The two quartets heard in tonight’s concert qualify as ‘late works’. Over many years playing and studying this works, I find if fascinating, that the topic of mortality, of end-games, if you like, almost […]
November 25, 2019
I make no apology for the fact that, this week, I want to write a about detail, particularly the relationship between technical and musical priorities on the the violin. This will be pretty nerdy, so if you aren’t really, really, interested in how the violin works, I suggest you find something better to do! Monday […]
November 24, 2019
January 10th, January 23rd, February 7th, March 5th. Scroll down for details! Friday January 10th 6pm St Mary Aldemary -Watling Street, London EC4M 9BW Admission: £12 (£5 Concessions) on the door or from www.peter-sheppard-skaerved.com Programme to include:Westhoff – A Major SuiteMatteis – DivisonsVilsmayr – Scordatura partita from ‘Artificiosus Concentus pro Camera’Baltzar – Divsions on ‘Come […]
November 21, 2019
St Edmund’s Chapel Dover Saturday October 26th 630pm Peter Sheppard Skærved – Violins Peter Sheppard Skærved – ‘St Edmunds Chapel – Gaudete cum lætitia’ 2019 (world premiere) Peter Sheppard Skærved writes: ‘I was first introduced to this amazing building seven years ago, and that first impression remains indelible. St Edmunds was built in and was […]
November 18, 2019
NB – newer postings here will be added at the bottom, sequentially. 18 11 19 This week, I am going to post about notation and creativity. This has been inspired by the day that I spent working on the work of the Dresden-based violinist Johann Paul von Westhoff (1656 – buried 17 April 1705) yesterday. So that’s […]
November 13, 2019
A week of reflection about being a quartet player. The posts will appear in reverse order, as I will place them at the top of the page each time I write Rehearsal wrangling, composer wrangling – 17 11 19 I have performed and studied Beethoven long enough to know that, maybe 7 times out of […]
November 11, 2019
It’s a great evening. I am back home, with a pot of tea, on the sofa, after spending a day doing the thing I love: my job. But, looking at this picture taken after recording Gregory Rose’s Concerto today, at Angel Studios, it’s clear to me, that the driver, the inspiration, and, perhaps, the purpose […]
November 5, 2019
12/11/19 Things to be done. Practice/Practise So this morning, after a day recording yesterday , I confess I am moving to the violin slowly, tentatively. The quartet will meet to rehearse late Beethoven this evening, which will concentrate the mind, and hands. But this morning will be violin-free. So I have been thinking about practice, […]
November 1, 2019
Reporting Back: Mihailo Trandafilovski talks about this work at the CMRU, Goldsmiths, University of London 31 10 19 It fascinates me, that I can work extremely closely with friends, and yet, when they stand up to talk in detail about their art, I find that I have so much to learn, indeed to study, about […]
November 30, 2019