David Matthews’ Fifteen Fugues for solo violin, composed over four years between 1998 and 2002, constitute what is probably the largest set of violin fugues by a living composer. They also form an extended essay in musical portraiture, with each fugue ‘depicting’ its dedicatee.

Like the Three Studies (1985) and Winter Journey (1982–83), a tone-poem for solo violin inspired by Schubert’s Winterreise, they pose extraordinary technical challenges to the performer. They are played here by the violinist for whom most of this music was written, Peter Sheppard Skærved.

This release continues Toccata Classics‘ coverage of David Matthews‘ music, with two volumes of his string quartets already released to outstanding reviews.

Peter Sheppard Skærved is the dedicatee of over 300 new works for violin, and is the only violinist to have performed on Paganini’s, Viotti’s, Kreisler’s and Ole Bull’s violins. He has previously appeared on Toccata Classics as the leader of the Kreutzer Quartet in the first two volumes of the complete string quartets of David Matthews and in the first volume of 30 Sonate piccole of Giuseppe Tartini, playing from his own edition of the Sonate piccole based on a thorough study of Tartini’s manuscripts.