Saxton: String Quartets Nos. 3 & 4; Sonata for Solo Violin "Reflections in Time" Peter Sheppard Skærved & Kreutzer Quartet

• Robert Saxton (b. 1953): String Quartet No. 3:
• 1 Saxton: String Quartet No. 3: I. Departure and Return 03:21
• 2 Saxton: String Quartet No. 3: II. Winter Light 03:58
• 3 Saxton: String Quartet No. 3: III. Dance 03:44
• 4 Saxton: String Quartet No. 3: IV. Sea Ground 04:31
• 5 Saxton: String Quartet No. 3: V. Continuing Journey 03:09
• Sonata for Solo Violin "Reflections in Time":
• 6 Saxton: Sonata for Solo Violin "Reflections in Time": I. 05:14
• 7 Saxton: Sonata for Solo Violin "Reflections in Time": II. 04:07
• 8 Saxton: Sonata for Solo Violin "Reflections in Time": III. 04:00
• 9 Saxton: Sonata for Solo Violin "Reflections in Time": IV. 04:38
• 10 Saxton: Sonata for Solo Violin "Reflections in Time" V. 07:32
• String Quartet No. 4:
• 11 Saxton: String Quartet No. 4: I. Wavebreak 02:35
• 12 Saxton: String Quartet No. 4: II. Time Spiral. Passacaglia 04:39
• 13 Saxton: String Quartet No. 4: III. Nightscape 03:58
• 14 Saxton: String Quartet No. 4: IV. …the dancing will never be done… 06:20
• 15 Saxton: String Quartet No. 4: V. …at the still point of the turning world… 03:52
• 16 Saxton: String Quartet No. 4: VI. Hymn 03:10
• 17 Saxton: String Quartet No. 4: VII. Daybreak 04:28
• Total Runtime 01:13:16

Info for Saxton: String Quartets Nos. 3 & 4; Sonata for Solo Violin "Reflections in Time"

Reflections in Time brings together three major works by Robert Saxton which push the expressive and structural boundaries of the string quartet and solo violin. Performed by the renowned Kreutzer Quartet and violinist Peter Sheppard Skærved, this album beautifully illustrates Saxton’s ability to fuse intellectual rigor with deeply evocative musical storytelling. String Quartet No. 3 (2009) unfolds in five intricately woven movements, charting a course through cyclical forms and shifting modal landscapes. A work of compelling contrast, it moves from the meditative austerity of Winter Light to the driving energy of Dance, before closing with Continuing Journey, a movement that dissolves into the very resonance of its own beginning.

The Sonata for Solo Violin, Reflections in Time (2023), written for and inspired by Skærved’s artwork, is a profound exploration of symmetry, memory, and transformation. Saxton constructs a sonic world where melodic gestures mirror and refract, capturing the essence of time’s fluidity. With a structure reminiscent of the palindromic forms found in Bach and Berg, the work challenges perceptions of musical motion, forging an organic connection between sound and visual art. String Quartet No. 4 (2023) is a meditation on creation and renewal, mapping an ascent through seven movements, each tied to a symbolic pitch cycle.

From the opening Wavebreak, evoking the birth of sound and motion, to the final movement, Daybreak, which resonates with echoes of all that preceded it, the quartet embodies a vast temporal and harmonic journey. Its centerpiece, “...the dancing will never be done...,” is an urgent and restless dance, framed by introspective movements that contemplate the passage of time and human experience. Saxton’s music is defined by its meticulous craftsmanship and philosophical depth. In Reflections in Time, his long-standing collaboration with the Kreutzer Quartet and Sheppard Skærved reaches new heights, producing performances that are as precise as they are impassioned. This recording offers a vital addition to the contemporary string repertoire, appealing to listeners attuned to the intellectual and emotional possibilities of modern chamber music.

Peter Sheppard Skaerved, violin
Kreutzer Quartet

Peter Sheppard Skærved
is acclaimed internationally for performances of a vast range of solo repertoire. His repertoire stretches from the late 16th century to hundreds of works written for him: these include major works by composers by established ‘greats’ such as Hans Werner Henze and George Rochberg, to the many young composers with whom he collaborates worldwide.

Peter is a Grammy-nominated recording artist, with over one hundred critically acclaimed albums to his name. These range from concerto discs with orchestras including the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra to the complete Tartini Solo Sonatas, 24 Telemann Fantasies, cycles of Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert Sonatas, eight discs of solo works from the 1600s and many recordings of the works dedicated to him. Upcoming releases include the Westhoff Suites, complete Julius Röntgen solo works, Bartok Duos, Nielsen solo works, Rode Caprices, and Norwegian traditional Slåtter. Peter is currently performing, filming, and recording on great instruments in the collections of the Library of Congress, Washington DC, the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, the Metropolitan Museum, New York City. Peter is Honorary Professor at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, London, and visiting Research Fellow of Goldsmiths, University of London. He regularly gives masterclasses and workshops at schools across the USA, including Peabody Conservatoire, Vanderbilt University, Ithaca College, Middlebury College, Cornell University and many more.

Peter’s wide ranging ‘Knowledge Exchange Violin’ Project brings together an extraordinary group of museums: from Europe’s oldest, the Ashmolean Museum Oxford, to the Metropolitan Museum New York City, the Zagreb Arts & Crafts Museum the National Gallery of Art Washington DC, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Alongside them are a range of institutions, from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to the Royal Academy of Music London. Peter is collaborating with them producing films, exhibitions, recordings, podcasts and events which explore the interrelationships between music, art and the environment. institutions ranging from the National Gallery of Art Washington DC and the Museo Stradivari in Cremona, through to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the UK, with a linked series of concerts, recordings, residencies, films, recordings, podcasts and much more.

The Kreutzer Quartet
has rapidly established itself as one of the most sought after string quartets in the UK. They appear regularly at the major London venues and have made many live and studio recordings for the BBC, and major networks all over Europe. They have taken their extremely eclectic programmes to Italy, Germany, France, Holland, Serbia, Montenegro, Sardinia, the US, Spain, Cyprus, Poland, and Lithuania. Recent critical and publically acclaimed performances have been at the Warsaw Autumn Festival, de Doelen, Rotterdam, Quartet 2000, Manchester, and the Vilnius Philharmonic Festival.

The Kreutzers have a busy recording schedule, reflecting their commitment to musical exploration. Following the critical acclaim accorded their releases of cycles of quartets by Gerhard, Finnissy, Birtwhistle, Tippett, and Hallgrimsson, the quartet are in the process of recording and releasing ground-breaking recordings of contemporary music while also keeping a hand in the classical repertoire with a forthcoming Metier disc of Beethoven. They have a particularly strong association with the Metier label, and have also recorded for Naxos, NMC, Chandos, Guild and New Focus.

Booklet for Saxton: String Quartets Nos. 3 & 4; Sonata for Solo Violin "Reflections in Time"