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Written in Folk Roots issue 184, 1998

HANS W. BRIMI
Hyljarliv
Heilo HCD 7125 (1997)

FERDAFOLK
Ferdafolk
Heilo HCD 7133 (1997)

LARS UNDERDAL
Gullfakse
NOR-CD 9827 (1998)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Meisterspel
Heilo HCD 7132 (1997)

Not all Norwegian fiddlers play the hardingfele; in many parts of the country the vanleg fele (“ordinary fiddle”), also called flatfele (because the hardingfele with its short neck is tuned higher than it is), rules. One of the greatest players of vanleg fele, Hans W. Brimi, born at Brimi in Lom, Gudbrandsdal in 1917, died this year. He made about 15 LPs, and Hyljarliv is a compilation of 24 tracks, recorded for Heilo, NRK, Philo and Oppsong between 1957 and 1989, of tunes including waltz, springleik, skotsk, lydarslått, reinlender and march. Most are solo, but some are accompanied by accordion (usually Jon Faukstad), or ensemble with guitar and bass, joined for a masurka by Pernille Anker’s vocal tralling, and Lugum Leik I Hallingtakt is a duet with her jew’s-harp.

      The ensubtling effect of a good fiddler on an accordionist is amply demonstrated on Ferdafolk, by the young duo of that name from western Norway which consists of vanleg (and occasionally Hardanger) fiddler - and too-infrequent singer - Ingunn Linge Valdal, and Knut Ivar Bøe, player of a large, pearly-white, chromatic button accordion. Bøe’s previous recording showed him jumping energetically into several world traditions; this is a much more focused, perceptive work. Much of the tunes are from their home region, and the rest are new compositions and some, including Tom Anderson’s Shingly Beach, are from the Norse islands of Shetland and Orkney, plus Shetland-associated Scottish borderer Ian Lowthian’s Myra’s Jig. Occasional extra accompaniments come from Jo Inge Nes’ percussion and didgeridoo, producer Leiv Solberg’s mandocello and Bjørnar Myhr’s harmonium, with tralling and other vocals from Unni Løvlid.

      There’s a boom in Norway of young musicians going deep into traditional music and developing high skills. In response to this, saxist Karl Seglem’s NOR-CD label has begun a series titled “Hardangerfiddle Towards The Year 2000”. First to arrive, elegantly Digipak-encased as are so many Nordic releases, is Gullfakse, comprising thirteen traditional tunes from his home county of Telemark powerfully played by 27-year-old Lars Underdal.

      Meisterspel is a compilation featuring many of the most famous and admired players of hardingfele across three generations, from Halldor Meland and Olav Heggland, both born in 1884 and who both died in the 1970s, to Håkon Høgemo, born in 1965. There’s one tune each from twenty-three players, in good quality recordings made between 1937 and 1997 - Hallvard T. Bjørgum, Torleiv H. Bjørgum, Hauk Buen, Eivind Mo, Alf Tveit, Torleiv Bolstad, Leif Rygg, Knut Hamre, Sigbjørn Bernhoft Osa and many more. It’s a useful overview and, particularly if listened to in small sections, well illustrates the general feel of the styles of highly-regarded players, but of course no sampler, nor any CD, can allow one to get close to the logic and meaning of a particular individual expression - that takes time and, as with most traditions, being there and smelling the rosin.


© 1998 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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