Pre-Order: Sheppard Peter Skaerved - Nigel Clarke: Brueghel's Brush: 25 Miniatures [CD]

On 20 November 2026, Metier is thrilled to present a stunning new work, Brueg[h]el's Brush: 25 Miniatures for Solo Violin and Solo Viola by composer Nigel Clarke. Inspired by 25 paintings by the Bruegel family (and followers) exhibited in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. This exciting collaboration between composer Nigel Clarke, acclaimed violinist/violist Peter Sheppard Skærved, and the RMFAB aims to help the museum's visitors and international online audiences develop a deeper understanding of the Brueg[h]el dynasty's art with the aid of music.The work was premiered in the Bruegel Room at the RMFAB in the spring and summer of 2026, performed by Peter Sheppard Skærved alongside music composed in Bruegel's lifetime by composers including Ortiz, Bassano, Marini, van Eyck and Dowland. Nigel Clarke and Peter Sheppard Skærved have collaborated on several projects over the last thirty years, led by their areas of shared interest and travel, but this is the first time they have worked together on art. The miniatures were recorded on historic string instruments including two violins dating from the time of the Brueg[h]el family, one of which is a 1629 Amati.Pieter Bruegel was the greatest Flemish painter of the 16th century and his masterpieces still speak to our imagination. An astute observer, his paintings capture everyday life with it's many celebrations and festivals, as well as mythological works, landscapes and still lifes, always rich in detail, colourful and visceral, and often humorous. The collection in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts contains many of his greatest works, and those of his family and contemporaries.The 11 movements comprising 'Book One' replicate the sequence of paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder and his son Pieter Brueghel the Younger from the most celebrated room in the museum. The 14 movements making up 'Book Two' reflect the constellation of works scattered across the whole site, also including works by Jan Brueghel the Elder, Jan Brueghel the Younger, as well as collaborations with Peter Paul Rubens and Hendrick van Balen the Elder. Nigel Clarke is renowned for his virtuosic style and story-telling, and composes in a language of contrasts and colours. Here he conjures vivid musical images of the paintings with the myriad sounds of the viola and violin, through the masterful playing of Peter Sheppard Skærved. Clarke and Sheppard Skærved convey the noise and emotion in each work of art, even all the various musical instruments depicted in them. We can hear the joyful wedding dances, the screams of Icarus' father, the debauchery of 'The Wine of St Martin's Day', the quiet sadness of 'Massacre of the Innocents', the riotous 'Battle of Carnival and Lent' and the still rural balm of 'Landscape'. The different qualities of the two string instruments play a part too: many of the pieces require the bright qualities of the violin, but the viola brings compassion and tenderness.British, Belgian composer Nigel Clarke has held posts as Composition and Contemporary Music Tutor at the Royal Academy of Music and Head of Composition at the London College of Music & Media. His many national and international residencies and associations have included positions with the Young Concert Artist Trust, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, The Black Dyke Band and Grimethorpe Colliery Band. Peter Sheppard Skærved is a GRAMMY-nominated violinist with an extensive discography and international acclaim for performances of a vast range of solo repertoire from the late 16th century to contemporary works. Hundreds of works have been written for him, by both major composers and the many young composers with whom he collaborates worldwide.