Erlend Apneseth - Nova

Erlend Apneseth is one of Norway’s foremost Hardanger fiddle players and folk musicians. Following his successes with the Erlend Apneseth Trio, he has returned to recording an acoustic solo album. He has his roots in traditional music. Award winning, he has released eight albums and won the Norwegian equivalent of a Grammy for ‘Salika,Molika’ in 2019.He has collaborated with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra on new works for the Hardanger fiddle since 2021. I first heard a Hardanger fiddle played on a summer’s evening in a churchyard in rural Derbyshire many years ago, when I was invited to attend a very unusual concert. There couldn’t be a greater contrast between my listening experience in Derbyshire and the location chosen for this experimental and improvised recording, in a mausoleum created by Emanuel Vigeland in Slemdal, Oslo. In 1926 the artist built a museum for his art, intending it to be the resting place for his ashes after his death. Not only are the acoustics of the building unusual, due to its vaulted design, but the atmosphere created by the dark, dimly lit space and its dramatic frescoes must have had an impact on this recording. Apneseth writes, ‘For me one of the most fascinating things about the instrument is its ability to fill a whole room with sound all by itself’. There’s an other wordly and minimalist mood to this music, with a real sense of mystery. It’s a testament to the versatility of the musician and the instrument and a celebration of the space in which the music is recorded.