25th March 2012. Statue of Halvorsen outside the National Theatre Oslo. On my way to play a recital at the Norwegian Music Academy; so, coals to Newcastle notwithstanding, I played Larsen’s Halling as an encore.

Larsens Halling, Live in Baltimore, 4 4 2012 (Peter Sheppard Skaerved)

I was given the first edition of Halvorsen’s faithful transcriptions of Slaater when I was a teenager, and they have been on and off the music desk ever since.  It took me a long time to get to grips with how groundbreaking these were. I will write more on this later but today August 2nd) I will simply append Giboen’s Bridal March.

Giboens Bruremarsch (Scordatura A-D-A-E

Workshop recording-St Paul Minnesota 2nd August 

Bruremarsch fra Telemarken 

Kivlemoyerne. Gangar. (Scordatura F C A E) 

Bruremarsch efter Moellergutten-Traditional Hardanger Melody 

Traditional. As performed by Knud Dahle and transcribed by Johan Halvorsen.
Published by Peters Verlag as ‘Norwegische Bauerntaenze'(Slaatter) -‘wie diesselben auf der norwegischen Bauernfiedel gespielt werden’

Peter Sheppard Skaerved-Violin (Stradivari 1698 Joachim) (Scordatura A E A E)
Outtake 29th June 2010
Engineer-Jonathan Haskell-Astounding Sounds

For a linked Danish Project click on THE FOG IS LIFTING

Halvorsen to Edvard Grieg: “Today I saved two folk dances from oblivion. They aren’t so easy to transcribe. Small jumps and trills like a small trout in a torrent…Sometimes he (Knut Dale) used ornaments, a mixture of 2/4 and 6/8 time, that made me laugh aloud for joy”.

Knut Dahle

Johan Halvorsen, with a Hardangerfedel