Erik Rydvall – Northern Dances (2019) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

You are now entering our world of epic folk music from around the Baltic Sea, played on a large church organ and the nyckelharpa, the keyed Swedish fiddle, in a recording made in tribute to the new organ in the Domkirke (Cathedral) in Kristiansand in Norway. The organ was constructed in 2013 by the German company Klais, which has created an impressive and colourful instrument with a large palette of different sounds, from the most delicate and poetic to the most majestic and festive – a palette that adds space, character, volume and atmosphere to the original folk tunes. The nyckelharpa, a traditional folk instrument, has its origins in the sixteenth century, and its fragile, Baroque-like sound is happily embraced by the delicate solo stops – for example, the ‘woodwind’, or the bells, of the organ – or it can be carried, like an eagle flying over a majestic landscape, with deep forests and high mountains, by a powerful northern wind. The realm of folk dance is a fascinating soundscape of irregular pulse, ostinato- like melodic figures and improvised sections. The melodic and rhythmic variations they show are equally rich, both in the musical tradition itself and in the traditions of the hundreds of different types of dances that make it up. We have chosen folk tunes that are, in a more profound sense, majestic, epic, sacred, elegant, wild, delightful or meditative. The arrangements are not written down, but are more or less improvised, according to these characters.

Tracklist:
1. Erik Rydvall – Northern Dances (02:49)
2. Erik Rydvall – Springar (After Sølve-Knut) (04:28)
3. Erik Rydvall – Church March (03:01)
4. Erik Rydvall – Estonian Chorale (I Praise One Man): Ma kiitlen ykspäinis (04:26)
5. Erik Rydvall – Maria’s Wedding Waltz (04:11)
6. Erik Rydvall – Estonian Chorale (I Praise One Man): Oh Kristus valgus oled saa (06:33)
7. Erik Rydvall – Polska in D Major (After Sven Donat) (03:46)
8. Erik Rydvall – Northern Stories (03:28)
9. Erik Rydvall – Gästrikland: Ockelbogubbarnas favorit Polska: Ockelbogubbarnas favorit Polska (03:02)
10. Erik Rydvall – Sexdrega Collection: Polska in A Minor (02:58)
11. Erik Rydvall – Polska in A Minor (After Karl Lindblad) (03:02)
12. Erik Rydvall – Storhurven (03:58)
13. Erik Rydvall – Polska from Östra Ryd (After Anders Larsson) (02:47)
14. Erik Rydvall – Svanen (The Swan): Svanen (03:32)
15. Erik Rydvall – Polska from Åre (After Lapp-Nils) (04:02)
16. Erik Rydvall – Storebråten (After Olav Vestenfor) (03:44)
17. Erik Rydvall – Andreas Höök Collection: Polones in G Major (02:13)
18. Erik Rydvall – March (After Hans Brimi) (04:47)
19. Erik Rydvall – Northern Bells (03:33)