New Music for Hardanger Fiddle (Special Podcast)

03/17/15 • 47 min

Listen to new music for the instrument from Southwestern Norway known as the Hardanger fiddle, (or hardingfele), but of course there’s a twist. For this New Sounds, there’s post-rock, world music, electroacoustic music, and even an Irish-American duet on this Norwegian instrument – with music from Scotland, Ireland, and the U.S. Hear the collaborative recording between Hardanger fiddle master Nils Økland and the post-rock duo The Low Frequency In Stereo, called Lumen Drones – which comes off as a psychedelic drone band. Then, listen to music from the octogenarian bard Robin Williamson (of Incredible String Band reknown), along with violist Mat Maneri and drummer Ches Smith. Then, hear a duo record from Caoimhin O Raghallaigh (of The Gloaming) and Dan Trueman (founder of Princeton Laptop Orchestra), which stretches and recombines the DNA of Norwegian folk and Irish trad fiddling on a 10-stringed instrument, the Hardanger d’Amore. Plus, there’s music from the Hardanger’s likely ancestor, the viola d’amore, by composer/violist Garth Knox, and more.

PROGRAM #3676 Hardanger Fiddle Music (First aired on 12/23/2014)

ARTIST(S)

RECORDING

CUT(S)

SOURCE

Lumen Drones (Nils Okland/Per Steinar Lie/Orjan Haaland)

Lumen Drones

Dark Sea [3:54]

ECM 2434 http://ecmrecords.com

Annbjørg Lien

Baba Yaga

Aja [6:27]

North Side #6044 / Grappa Musikkforlag GRCD 4158 annbjorglien.com

Robin Williamson w/ Mat Maneri, viola and Ches Smith, drums

Trusting In The Rising Light

Our Evening Walk [5:40]

ECM 2393 ecmrecords.com

Lumen Drones (Nils Okland/Per Steinar Lie/Orjan Haaland)

Lumen Drones

Keelwater [6:15]

See above.

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh & Dan Trueman

Laghdú

fead an iolair [4:02]

store.irishmusic.net

Carla Kihlstedt

Borrowed Arms

Hold My Own [5:00]

kihlstedtbossi.bandcamp.com

Garth Knox

D'Amore

Malor me bat (2004) [4:54]

ECM 1925 ecmrecords.com

PROGRAM #3676 Hardanger Fiddle Music (First aired on 12/23/2014)

ARTIST(S)

RECORDING

CUT(S)

SOURCE

Lumen Drones (Nils Okland/Per Steinar Lie/Orjan Haaland)

Lumen Drones

Dark Sea [3:54]

ECM 2434 http://ecmrecords.com

Annbjørg Lien

Baba Yaga

Aja [6:27]

North Side #6044 / Grappa Musikkforlag GRCD 4158 annbjorglien.com

Robin Williamson w/ Mat Maneri, viola and Ches Smith, drums

Trusting In The Rising Light

Our Evening Walk [5:40]

ECM 2393 ecmrecords.com

Lumen Drones (Nils Okland/Per Steinar Lie/Orjan Haaland)

Lumen Drones

Keelwater [6:15]

See above.

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh & Dan Trueman

Laghdú

fead an iolair [4:02]

store.irishmusic.net

Carla Kihlstedt

Borrowed Arms

Hold My Own [5:00]

kihlstedtbossi.bandcamp.com

Garth Knox

D'Amore

Malor me bat (2004) [4:54]

ECM 1925 ecmrecords.com

Previous Episode

Music for Choir and Percussion (Special Podcast)

Hear music for the combination of choir and percussion like "Whispers and Cries," by Australian born composer Andrew Byrne, which features fellow Aussie musicians Astra Choir and Speak Percussion. The show won't always stick to traditional choirs and percussion. In Daniel Lentz's "Postludium," the choir members rub and strike wine glasses while singing, and Anna Thorvaldsdottir's "into-Second Self" features a layered choir of two brass instruments. In addition to rhythmic and driving drumming, hear more of the atmospheric and colorful role of percussion in music for the combination of choir and percussion. The centerpiece of the show, a work called "Whispers and Cries," by Australian born composer Andrew Byrne, features fellow Aussie musicians Astra Choir and Speak Percussion.

PROGRAM #3670 Music for Choir and Percussion (First aired on 12/8/2014)

ARTIST(S)

RECORDING

CUT(S)

SOURCE

Daniel Lentz

Missa Umbrarum

Postludium, excerpt

New Albion Records Amazon

Andrew Byrne. Performed by Astra Choir and Speak Percussion

Striking; Whispers and Cries

Whispers and Cries: 1. Song for Voice [5:28]

Available for purchase directly through composer here: andrewbyrne.com

Daniel Lentz

Missa Umbrarum

Postludium [8:17]

See above.

Anna Thorvaldsdottir

Aeriality

into-Second Self [7:39]

Deutsche Grammophon Amazon

Andrew Byrne. Performed by Astra Choir and Speak Percussion

Striking; Whispers and Cries

Whispers and Cries: 2. Song for Crotales [5:24]

See above.

Andrew Byrne. Performed by Astra Choir and Speak Percussion

Striking; Whispers and Cries

Whispers and Cries: 3. Song for Piano [4:57]

See above.

Daniel Lentz

Missa Umbrarum

Lascaux, excerpt [9:12]

See above.

Next Episode

Psychedelic World Music (Special Podcast)

Listen to world music that veers into psychedelic territory on this New Sounds, with Native-American inspired percussive drone music and Afrobeat from Brazil in music by Bixiga 70. Hear a mix of Afro-Ethiopian rock and jazz from the Brazilian band, Bixiga70, whose name is clearly a nod to the Afrobeat pioneered by Fela Kuti and drummer Tony Allen (with whom Mauricio Fleury from the band studied with.) This brass-heavy sound bounces through boundaries to harvest textures of Guinean and Malian mandingo from Guinea and Mali, soukous from the Congo and ethio-jazz. Also, there’s music from a Chinese string band, Red Chamber, and their pipa, zheng, zhongruan, among other Chinese lutes and zithers. On this tune,"Ah Ya Zein," they accompany oud player Gordon Grdina, and are augmented by all kinds of percussion from other traditions. Then, hear “tribal folkadelia” from Flamingods, with musicians based in London & Bahrain, and operatic trance music from Toronto-based artist, Alexandra Mackenzie, who records under the moniker Petra Glynt. Also, listen to a song from Nathan Bowles, a pounding tribute in percussive drone to the dwindling population of the Nansemond tribe who were part of the Powhatan confederacy in Virginia. Plus, explosive music from the Belgian brass klezmer punk band Kermesz a l'est, and more.

PROGRAM #3638, Psychedelic World Music (First aired on 9/17/2014)

ARTIST(S)

RECORDING

CUT(S)

SOURCE

Flamingods

Hyperborea

Vimana, excerpt [1:00]

SHAPE 027 shaperecords.co.uk shaperecords.bandcamp.com

Red Chamber

Gathering

Ah Ya Zein [7:40]