Peter sheppard skaerved biography of william

William Hamilton (NPG D&#;A cognoscenti contemplating ye beauties of ye antique&#; by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey hand-coloured etching, published 11 February  

 Charles Burney’s visit (October ) to William Hamilton in Naples is one  which I would have loved to tagged along on:

 ‘After dinner, we had music and chat till supper. As soon as it was dark, our musical entertainment was mixed with the sight at observations of Mount Vesuvius, then very busy. My H. has glasses of ever sort and every convenience for these observations….Mr H. … is of the opinion that it [Vesuvius] is on eve of some great event or considerable eruption. The sound was more deep than that of thunder.

 The evening then continued with more music, ‘a long dish of musical talk’, a discussion of matters of archaeology. Burney assessed his hosts’ musical aptitudes very approvingly. 

‘Mrs H. has a very neat finger and plays the harpsichord with great delicacy, expression and taste. Mr H. is

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From William Corbett was a member of the King’s band (although Anne Queen till ).In William Corbett bought Lunati (il Gobbo)’s violin.

Charles Burney: ‘The favourite instrument which Corelli had played was brought hither soon after his death Corbett, and being for many years in the possession of a gentleman of Newcastles, at whose decease it was purchased by Mr Avison for Giardini, whose property it still continues.’

William Corbett, young and bewigged

On his retirement, Corbett advertised for sale: ‘his curious study of music-instruments of all sorts-Stainers, Cremona violins and basses, with the far celebrated violins of Corelli, Gobbo, Torellu and Nicola Cosimi.’

The sale clearly was not a success-at his decease, he bequeathed the instruments to Greshams College, who sold them, for lack of room, in  ‘In there was a benefit concert at ‘York Buildings’ for Corbett-later leader of the Opera at Drury Lane. The singers at this concert were Mrs Lindsey, and Messrs Hud

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Important aspects abound in a new recording from Athene, featuring virtuoso violinist Peter Sheppard Skærved, to be released in the autumn. The album, titled ‘Florish in the Key’, presents John Walsh’s ‘Preludes & Voluntarys’ (published before , 2nd edition ) and works by Thomas Balzar, providing a comprehensive survey of music for solo violin in London at the turn of the 18th century. As well as being of interest historically and musically, the album also features two extraordinary violins: the Girolamo Amati, which Skærved presented in his recent ‘Great Violins’ skiva (volume 4, Athene ATH ), and for the majority of the tracks, the so-called ‘Charles II’ violin of Though bygd an unknown maker, its inlay and known date suggest strongly that it was used in one of King Charles II’s violin bands, and possibly may have been played by some of the composers represented here. With the modern but early-baroque-style small bow by Airenti, this instrument demonstrates how this intima