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Written in fRoots issue 346, 2012


GJERMUND LARSEN TRIO
Aurum
Heilo HCD 7252 (2010)

The Grappa company puts out CDs by quite a few of Norway’s leading folk-rooted musicians, including recent ones by Annbjørg Lien, Kirsten Bråten Berg, and Valkyrien Allstars. They release them, elegantly packaged, on their Heilo sub-label, which they helpfully took under their wing when its selflessly dedicated founder, fiddler Hallvard Kvåle, died some years back.
     But recently, despite the very welcome export push that Norwegian roots music has been receiving lately, they don’t seem to have felt it worthwhile to promote Heilo abroad by the inexpensive act of putting a few CDs in envelope and sending them to the writers and broadcasters abroad who’d certainly be interested and help them engage with foreign audiences.
     Here’s one very fine release that they don’t seem to have considered worth a stamp.
     There’s a consistently exquisite melodiousness and expressive emotionality to Gjermund Larsen’s compositions and playing of violin and cello, making this Majorstuen and former Frigg member the bower-of-choice in ensembles and projects by some of Norway’s finest musicians in the land where classical and traditional music touch.
     In this trio album he forsakes cello, just playing violin, perhaps because the cello range is covered by Andreas Utnem’s harmonium, and below it Sondre Meisfjord’s double bass.
     In his winding tunes there’s serene, thoughtful stateliness, the feel of Norway’s beautiful bridal marches, even an echo of Bach fugue, but there’s also space in their shapely structures for all three players to stretch out in personal expressiveness and fun. It’s rather as if the ornamentation of baroque music has been transfused with pointedness and melodiousness from Norwegian folk music while retaining its richness of tone, to make something emotive, less show-offy or mathematical, and deeply, warmly pleasing.
     If this makes sense to you, I’d also recommend a listen to fellow violinist Susanne Lundeng, particularly her early and latest albums. Find them on another long-established and interesting Norwegian label, KKV.

www.grappa.no



© 2011 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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