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Written in fRoots issue 262, 2005

ALEXANDER FEDORIOUK
The Art Of The Cimbalom
Traditional Crossroads CD 4314 (2003)

This is as dazzling and listenable exposition of the cimbalom, in company with other instruments, as you’re likely to find on a modern release.
      Many of the best-known cimbalists are from Romania or Hungary, but Alexander Fedoriouk is from the Ukrainian part of the Carpathians, where he played with Ukrainian, Roma, Romanian, and Moldovan musicians for weddings among the region’s diverse ethnic groups – Hutsul, Moldovan, Boyky and Lemky - and picked up styles and tunes from Romanian and Hungarian radio. Along with this work experience, he studied at various Ukrainian music schools including Kiev Conservatory. When he was 21, on a 1992 American tour with the Ukrainian folk ensemble Cheres he jumped ship, and since then has been enriching the musical culture of the US. His playing has been further expanded by tunes and techniques learnt from contact with cimbalom masters Romanian Toni Iordache and Hungarian Kálmán Balogh.
      For this album he’s gathered a hot team of Ukrainian, Romanian, Croatian and US musicians to make a flexible orchestra including violin, viola, taragot, clarinet, fujara, tylynka, sopilka, frilka, panpipes, accordion and double bass. As tight and Carpathically luxuriant as they come, they play a vari-paced repertoire largely from Romania and western Ukraine. Brilliant, yes, but always projecting and exploring the melody rather than nodding and winking with smart-ass chops.
      There’s added value in Cynthia Rogers’ booklet notes, a concise but extensively-researched summary of the history of the cimbalom and description of the other instruments.
      www.traditionalcrossroads.com


© 2003 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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