Peter Sheppard Skærved plays The Met’s Nicolò Amati violin

Peter Sheppard Skærved performs “D minor Capriccio 'Imitation of a Lira'” by Biagio Marini (1594 – 1663) on a Violin made by Nicolò Amati, 1669 (1974.229a–d). The works chosen for this instrument stretch from the 1620s up to 1700. The violin is heard in two different tunings, which reveals contrasting colouristic and timbral possibilities. The instrument is in Baroque set-up and played here with an early bow made by Antonino Airenti of Genoa.

This caprice is one of the first genuine virtuoso works for violin. The “imitation of a lira” refers to double and triple-stopped writing, which dominates the piece and references the chordal style of the lira da braccio. Marini indicated that this piece could be played on a violin with three strings. But, by the time it was published, in 1627, the three-string instrument had become obsolete.
(Peter Sheppard Skærved, 2023)

For more information about The Met’s Amati violin by please visit: https://bit.ly/44eCZhR.

This video was the result of a collaboration between Peter Sheppard Skærved, The Royal Academy of Music, and The Department of Musical Instruments at The Met.

A production of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Video edited by Christopher Shurtleff
Sound Recording and Post-Production Audio by Bobby Berry

Organized by the Department of Musical Instruments
Jayson Kerr Dobney, Frederick P. Rose Curator-in-Charge
Bradley Strauchen-Scherer, Curator
Manu Frederickx, Conservator
Tim Caster, Principal Departmental Technician
Pamela Summey, Programs Coordinator
Nicole Sussmane, Associate Administrator