The luth mandorée, a soprano lute used on this recording, shares its tuning (a combination of fourths and fifths) with a scordatura often used by Swedish fiddlers.
Compositional Technique
The polska, a folk dance from Poland, is the most frequent dance in Swedish folk music repertoire, with 14 included on this recording.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in Länna Church, Sweden, between May 24-27, 2000, using Neumann M149 microphones and a Sony PCM2700 DAT recorder.
Interpretation
The arrangements on this album are inspired by 17th and 18th-century arrangements of folk tunes for lute and guitar, using sonorous keys to bring the music to life.
Performer Biography
Jakob Lindberg, the lutenist and guitarist on this album, developed his initial passion for music through The Beatles.
Historical Context
Folk music, though traditionally associated with lower classes, also interested the middle classes and nobility, with King Gustav III (1746-1792) being entertained by a nyckelharpa player.
Historical Context
In Swedish folklore, Näcken or Strömkarl ('the man of the stream') is a powerful forest spirit who plays the violin, and many fiddlers claimed to have learned melodies directly from him.
