Ruske-Saras Minne

EM76 / 2012

This album presents classic solo Hardanger fiddle. The tunes are some that have been with me thru many years as a fiddler, and that I have used often at performances. I have included archive recordings here from almost 20 years ago, along with newly recorded tunes.

In this album we have tried to create an atmosphere different from the one normally resulting from a studio recording. Tunes are recorded in different settings and performed using a variety of fiddles.

To provide the energy and atmosphere of live performance with audience, some tracks from concerts and contests are included. A fiddler in the right mood often does his best for an audience. So there are also tunes here that have been recorded during playing sessions at home.

Fiddling is a dynamic experience. All tunes have a traditional structure, but there are many ways of interpreting them. The fiddle can be tuned in a number of ways, and performance situations vary from concerts and competitions, to playing for dancing or just sitting alone late in the evening. Then the same tune can turn out differently, providing something new to experience and share. The facets are many.

“For me fiddle adds color and enrichment to life. Music brings joy and wonder, and it triggers emotions!”.
Each tune is a rose with its own inner character, full of stories to tell. It’s a delight to discover a new tune that appeals and somehow relates to one’s self, and then to play tune in line with one’s own mind and mood. Peace of mind and strength are born from such.”

I play tunes here as I have heard them from musicians who have inspired me through the years, either directly, in learning situations and fiddler gatherings, or via recordings. I love Lars Fykerud’s music and many of the tunes here are after him. Lars Fykerud (1860-1902) did not copy his masters. He almost never played a tune the same way twice, but used material he had learned as basis for a wealth of improvised compositions. Some of my performances on this CD are also improvised, and may differ slightly from the sources.

Christian Borlaug