The composer, Hafliði Hallgrímsson, was inspired by Paul Klee's practice of giving his artworks unusual and clever titles, and decided to give his own pieces unusual titles that reflected the musical content.
Composition History
The 'Klee Sketches' for violin solo were initially conceived in 2005 as a few short pieces for British violinist Peter Sheppard Skærved to perform in an exhibition in Mexico City.
Composition History
The work 'Offerto' was composed in 1991 in memory of Karl Kvaran, an Icelandic abstract painter and friend of the composer, Hafliði Hallgrímsson.
Performer Biography
Peter Sheppard Skærved, the performer on this album, is known for his pioneering approach to music and has had over 400 works written for him by various composers.
Performer Biography
Peter Sheppard Skærved is the only living violinist to have performed on the violins of famous historical figures like Ole Bull, Joachim, Paganini, and Viotti.
Composer Biography
Hafliði Hallgrímsson, the composer, began his musical life as a virtuoso cellist and was a principal cellist of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra before dedicating himself to composition full time.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The composer, Hafliði Hallgrímsson, immersed himself in Paul Klee's diaries to understand Klee the violinist, imagining he was composing for Klee to perform for friends.
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