Schubert-D 355 8 Ländler for Solo Violin 1816

Violin-Peter Sheppard Skaerved (Girolamo Amati 1629)

Live, Wilton’s Music Hall 7th January 2015

I have never really understood why we violinists ignore a vast tranche of our solo repertoire. From the mid 18th to the mid 19th century, hundreds, if not thousands, of dances for one and two violins were composed each year in every city in Europe, feeding the insatiable hunger of a public who danced on every occasion, in palaces, taverns, ball rooms and parlours. Here’s a little set of country dances by Franz Schubert, played here to begin a concert of chamber works by Schubert, Kodaly, Sadie Harrison, Richard Beaudoin and Bartok. There’s nothing simpler, nothing more challenging, and, in my experience, audiences love this kind of music. There’s a huge repertoire, just sitting there…what are you waiting for?

Jean Baptiste Pater Valenciennes-
Fetes-galantes-avec-un-couple-de-danseurs 1695