Mattias Thedens

Intricately decorated with wood carvings, mother of pearl inlay, rose style ink drawings and the head of a lion, Norway's national instrument, the Hardanger fiddle, is central to Norwegian folk tradition. Its rich and vibrant tone comes from the five sympathetic strings under the bridge and generations of expertise carried on through the years by skilled luthiers. Used mainly for dance music at parties in villages around Norway, the Hardanger fiddle was quickly associated with partying, drinking, dancing, and other sinful activities, and therefore banned from churches, and subsequently burned. Today the Hardanger fiddle tradition is alive and well, with thousands of tunes from valleys across the country being passed on through generations by dedicated teachers and performers around Norway. The repertoire is defined by long and complex melodies played by heart, intricate harmonies and moving double stops, complex ornamentation, and many unique ways of tuning the fiddle to convey different moods and feelings.