The Hardanger Fiddle: Lynn Berg and Rachel Nesvig
The hardanger fiddle (hardingfele) is the national folk instrument of Norway. What makes this unique instrument different from a standard violin, in construction and sound? Join me as Lynn Berg, one of the best hardanger fiddle luthiers (violin makers) in the USA, walks us through what it takes to make a fiddle and how he came to be a luthier. Then Rachel Nesvig, the talented and accomplished musician who plays a Berg fiddle, tells us her story in becoming a freelance hardanger fiddler and much more. Rachel plays the tune “Gamle Erik” for us. Other music in this show includes a tune played by Petter Eide of Sandane, Norway, and the opening measures of Grieg’s Morning Mood, which was inspired by the hardanger fiddle.
Corrections
I mispronounced Linda Caspersen-Andresen’s name; this is the correct spelling. Also, it was Linda who played the ‘hardanger cello” in the hardingfele quartet (see the CD and photo below), not David Loberg Code (although he did write that clever cello line with “Se Min Kjole” worked into it).
Links
Rachel Nesvig’s website, where you can launch her YouTube videos (rachelnesvig.com)
Lynn Berg’s website, where you can learn about the hardanger fiddle, the quartet, and the “violynn” (fiddlemaker.com).
Hardanger Fiddle Association of America to learn about hardanger fiddle workshops and events (https://www.hfaa.org/).
Did you know that it was forbidden to play a hardanger fiddle in church? Check out this article by Marcus Cederström on “the devil’s instrument” to find out why.
Watch this 30 second trailer of The Devils Instrument, an amazing documentary by Pioneer PBS, captured during a 10-day trip to Norway in August 2019. The film explores the culture surrounding the Hardanger fiddle and interviews woodworkers who make the fiddle, the musicians who play it and the dancers who spin to it against the backdrop of the gorgeous Norwegian landscape. The full film is on DVD and looks like a great program.
An album featuring the Hardanger fiddle quartet (David Loberg Code, Karin Loberg Code, Linda Caspersen-Andresen, and Tove Laila Hansen) is described at (http://homepages.wmich.edu/~code/karin/). The album also has several solo hardanger fiddle tunes that clearly differentiate the rhythms of telespringar, hallingspringar, and valdresspringar (just listen to the fiddler’s foot tapping).
Books
Paul Adam’s The Hardanger Riddle is a great read in the tradition of Nordic noir. Violin-making and famous violinists are part of the tale, including Ole Bull. The story takes place in Cremona, Italy as well as Bergen, Norway, and talks about the many places one can visit in Bergen: Mt. Fløyen, Ole Bull’s island, Lysøen; Bull’s grave (Assistentkirkegården), and Grieg’s Trollhaugen. Ibsen’s play, Peer Gynt is also mixed in. Lynn Berg and Nordic on Tap heartily recommend the book!
Photos
The hardingkvartetten in 2002, each with their instrument. From left to right, David Loberg Code, Tove Laila Hansen, Linda Caspersen-Andresen, and Karin Loberg Code. Lynn Berg, who made 3 of these 4 instruments, is at the far right.
I have what I believe is a hardanger fiddle that I inherited from my Great Uncle. I have not been able to find out much about the instrument and wondered if you could help me. Thank you.
Hi George,
That’s fantastic that you may have a hardanger fiddle. They are works of art all by themselves. There are lots of resources about the fiddles online, including pictures of the parts of a hardanger violin to highlight how they are different from “normal” violins (in order to verify that you do indeed have one, and I’m certain you do).
In terms of information about the fiddle, you might start with the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America’s FAQs page at https://www.hfaa.org/about-the-hardanger-fiddle/frequently-asked-questions#h.p_ID_66.
If you live in the Upper Midwest USA, there’s a number of violin makers that know about them. In the Pacific Northwest, I know of a violin repair shop in Seattle called Lasley Violins (https://lasleyviolins.store/) who could look at what you have and give you some information. But you may not be anywhere near Seattle. A builder of violins is called a luthier, as you may know – so using that as a key word in a search may help too.
If you live in southern Idaho, and I know of an Owyhee Mountain Fiddle Shop in Nampa run by Ken Pollard. I don’t know much else about them. They have a blog at https://owyheemountainfiddleshop.blogspot.com/
You might enjoy a concert or dance event where hardanger fiddles are playing, if that is nearby. Nothing like a live event. And you can ask a musician there about their violin as compared to yours. There are many such concerts or dances (where they play) in the Seattle Area.
Does this help?
Eric