Fifty Five

Is it the magical sound of the Hardanger fiddle, or its association with Norwegian folklore that has attracted performers and listeners over the years? The instrument's silvery, mysterious tone produced by its set of resonating, sympathetic strings leaves a haunting memory even after the notes have faded away. And every fiddle maker and player will affirm that they each bring a secret ingredient too.

The American composer and teacher Dan Trueman fell under the Hardanger fiddle's spell and decided he wanted to go a step further. Inspired by the Baroque viola d'amore, with its own rich, sweet sound, he met up with Norwegian instrument builder Salve Håkedal who made a Hardanger d'amore, the best of all worlds (which Irish fiddler Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh helped to put on the map too). Now armed with his own, Trueman composed tunes inspired by his travels as well as by his childhood home in New York. He describes the recording as resembling the sound the fiddler himself hears, the movement of fingers, the earthiness of bow on string. What he brings is an abundance of space, a sense that each tune could last a whole night long. From the sprightly ‘Upham Down’ to the reflective ‘Sills Gully’ this is a moving, personal journey.