#4039: New Music For Old Scandinavian Fiddles
For this New Sounds, listen to new music for old Scandinavian fiddles - both the Swedish nyckelharpa and Norwegian hardinfele (Hardanger fiddle) and variations – which incorporates elements of near eastern, north African, jazz & electronic music.
The Norwegian Hardanger fiddle, (or hardingfele), is most unusual in that it has a set of drone strings that lie under the fingerboard of the instrument. These drone strings are tuned to vibrate sympathetically to the chords and keys of Norwegian mountain music. Now, the Swedish nyckelharpa also has sympathetic strings, but is a keyed fiddle, so that when a said key is depressed, the tangent to which it is attached serves as a fret to change the pitch of the string.
Hear music from the UK-based nyckelharpa player Griselda Sanderson from her record, Radial, on which she collaborates with the London-based Gnawa musician, the guembri player Simo Lagnawi. Then, from Stephan Micus, listen to multiple layers of nyckelharpa, some bowed, which is generally how it is played, but Micus also plucks the sympathetic strings, which is most unusual - and strikes them in a percussive way. Listen to a work from his recent record, Inland Sea.
There’s also music for Hardanger fiddle that ranges from straight up Norwegian folk to worldy-folky music complete with Central Asian-style overtone singing from one of the leading hardingfele players, Annbjorg Lien (Bukkene Bruse.) Also, hear music from the improvisational trio 1982 - consisting of Nils Økland on Hardanger fiddles, Sigbjørn Apeland on harmonium and drummer Øyvind Skarbø.
Listen to an Italian player of Swedish nyckleharpa, Marco Ambrosini in collaboration with the French accordionist Jean-Louis Matinier, from their record, Inventio, inspired by Baroque music. Plus, hear music from nyckelharpa player Emilia Amper, from her record, Trollfågeln - (The Magic Bird), joined by members of the Norwegian chamber orchestra, the Trondheim Soloists, along with another player of the nyckelharpa, Johan Hedin.
But back to the Hardanger fiddle – listen to music from Caoimhin O Raghallaigh (of The Gloaming) and Irish/Scottish contemporary composer, Garth Knox. O Raghallaigh’s 10-stringed instrument, his Hardanger d’Amore, which is somewhere between a hardingfele and a viola d'amore, is paired with Knox’s viola d’amore. Rounding out the show is electronically enhanced experimental music by Robert Bentall for the Swedish folk instrument the nyckelharpa and live processing. - Caryn Havlik
PROGRAM #4039, folk fiddles from Norway & Sweden (First Aired: 10/26/2017)
ARTIST: Griselda Sanderson
WORK: Hjortingen's Polska [1:00]
SOURCE: Youtube
INFO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38G1uYgU7_A
ARTIST: Stephan Micus
WORK: Dancing Clouds [7:31]
RECORDING: Inland Sea
SOURCE: ECM 2569
INFO: ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Steve Tibbets / Knut Hamre
WORK: Huldreslatt [6:34]
RECORDING: Å
SOURCE: Hannibal #1438
INFO: Out of print. Try Amazon.com
ARTIST: Griselda Sanderson, ft. Simo Lagnawi
WORK: Carnera, The Biggest Horse [4:34]
RECORDING: Radial
SOURCE: Waulk Records
INFO: waulkrecords.com
ARTIST: Jean-Louis Matinier, Marco Ambrosini
WORK: Marco Ambrosini: Tasteggiata 1 [3:46]
RECORDING: Inventio
SOURCE: ECM 2348
INFO: ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Annbjorg Lien
WORK: Aja [6:47]
RECORDING: Baba Yaga
SOURCE: North Side #6044 / Grappa , Musikkforlag GRCD 4158
INFO: annbjorglien.com
ARTIST: 1982
WORK: 3:51 [3:53]
RECORDING: A/B
SOURCE: HUBROCD 2532
INFO: hubromusic.com
ARTIST: Caoiminh O Raghallaigh, Garth Knox
WORK: Rame [6:37]
RECORDING: All Soundings Are True
SOURCE: Diabtribe
INFO: shop.diatribe.ie
ARTIST: Emilia Amper
WORK: Galatea Creek [3:22]
RECORDING: Trollfågeln
SOURCE: BIS – 2013
INFO: www.sa-cd.net or download from Amazon.com or iTunes
ARTIST: Robert Bentall, nyckelharpa & electronics
WORK: Telian [3:40]
RECORDING: Live, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, 2016
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available.
INFO: robbentall.bandcamp.com
