Pianist Roderick Chadwick, who performs on this album, is currently recording Olivier Messiaen's "Catalogue d'oiseaux" book by book for the Divine Art label.
Compositional Technique
Unlike Olivier Messiaen, Edward Cowie's 'nature music' takes nature to music, drawing sounds from nature before writing music, and creating a distinctive musical language from these observations.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Edward Cowie describes himself as a "patterner," fascinated by the dynamics and shapes of things in action, and has connected at least a quarter of his compositions with birds.
Composition History
Edward Cowie composed "Bird Portraits" during the 2020 Covid Pandemic lockdown, finding inspiration in the abundant birdsong of South Cumbria, England.
Compositional Technique
The cycle "Bird Portraits" consists of 24 movements, a number that has appeared several times in Edward Cowie's music, including his 24 Preludes for Piano and 24 Birdsong Bagatelles.
Performer Biography
Peter Sheppard Skærved, the violinist on this recording, has had over 400 works written for him by various composers and is the only living violinist to have performed on the violins of Ole Bull, Joachim, Paganini, and Viotti.
Interpretation
Violinist Peter Sheppard Skærved and pianist Roderick Chadwick noticed recurring melodic and harmonic motifs throughout the cycle, reflecting the composer's use of sketchbooks to capture experiences in the same environment.
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