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| Folk music of Norway | |
|---|---|
| Name | Folk music of Norway |
| Caption | Hardingfele performance in Telemark |
| Cultural origins | Traditional Norwegian regions |
Folk music of Norway is the traditional music associated with the people, places, and cultural institutions of Norway, encompassing instrumental, vocal, and dance forms that have evolved across regions such as Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Telemark, and Hardanger. It intersects with practices in neighboring areas like Sweden, Scotland, Ireland, Sami people, and Finland while influencing and being influenced by organizations such as the Norwegian Folk Music Research Association, University of Oslo, Norwegian Academy of Music, National Museum of Norway. The tradition manifests in repertoire, instruments, and performance contexts documented by collectors including Ludvig Mathias Lindeman, Catharinus Elling, Arne Bjørndal, Eivind Groven, Olav Sunde, and institutions like the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and Folkemusikkarkivet.
The historical development traces through medieval centers like Bergen and Nidaros and contacts with maritime routes linking Hanseatic League, Viking Age, Kalmar Union, Union between Sweden and Norway, and later nation-building periods involving figures such as Ivar Aasen, Hans Nielsen Hauge, Fridtjof Nansen, and collections by Ludvig Mathias Lindeman and Catharinus Elling. Fieldwork by collectors including Arne Bjørndal, Eivind Groven, Geirr Tveitt, Håkon Austbø and archival efforts at Universitetet i Oslo and Norwegian Academy of Music preserved dance tunes, ballads, and church music that reflect exchanges with Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and the Baltic Sea region. The 19th-century romantic nationalism movement connected to Edvard Grieg, Johan Sebastian Welhaven, Henrik Wergeland, and the rise of institutions like the Musikkhøgskolen i Oslo and the Nationaltheatret stimulated publication and concertization of rural repertoire. Wartime and postwar eras involved recordings by NRK, research by Finn Arne Jørgensen, and revival efforts linked to festivals such as Vinterlyd, Riddu Riđđu Festival, and the Festival of North.
Central instruments include the Hardanger fiddle (hardingfele) associated with Hardanger, the langeleik zither related to Hungary and Germany trades, the seljefløyte willow flute tied to pastoral practices, and the munnspill (harmonica) adopted via USA and Germany. Bowed and plucked instruments feature makers and virtuosi like Olav Håvik, Kåre Nordstoga, Annbjørg Lien, Sondre Bratland, and luthiers linked to workshops in Valdres, Telemark, and Hardanger. Percussive and rhythmic roles appear in stave church traditions connected to Nidaros Cathedral and secular dances at bygdelag community halls; amplification and cross-genre work engage ensembles tied to Norwegian Academy of Music, Bergen International Festival, and labels such as Grappa Music.
Vocal forms encompass the narrative ballads (kveding) preserved in collections by Ludvig Mathias Lindeman, the shorter stev sung in regions like Telemark and Setesdal, and the yoik of the Sami people with documentation by Kåre J. Sæther and scholars at Sámi University of Applied Sciences. Prominent singers and researchers include Sondre Bratland, Bjørn Howard Kruse, Unni Løvlid, Annbjørg Lien, Berge Furre, and archive efforts at Folkemusikkarkivet and Norsk Folkemuseum. Church-linked hymnody influenced by Martin Luther and translations by Ivar Aasen intersect with secular storytelling forms recorded by Arne Bjørndal and disseminated through NRK Radioteatret and folk festivals like Landskappleiken.
Distinct regional variants include the fiddle-rich idioms of Telemark, the symmetric tunings and ornaments of Hardanger, the drone-based music of Valdres, the modal forms of Setesdal, and coastal repertoires from Nordland, Trøndelag, and Vestlandet. Each region features local collectors and performers such as Geirr Tveitt in Hardanger, Arne Bjørndal in Bergen, Ludvig Mathias Lindeman in Oslo, and contemporary proponents at festivals like Landskappleiken and Vossa Jazz that showcase interplay between local dances and fiddle repertoire. Cross-border affinities link these styles to Scotland, Ireland, Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Sweden through shared meters, modal systems, and ornamentation recorded by ethnomusicologists at University of Oslo, Uppsala University, and University of Edinburgh.
Dance forms include the reinlender, springar, gangar, pols, and halling, performed in contexts from stabbur lofts and farmsteads to city concert halls like Grieghallen and festivals including Landskappleiken and Oslo World Music Festival. Traditional dancers such as practitioners from Setesdal and Telemark maintain steps, capering moves like the halling kick, and partner conventions documented by choreographers at Den Norske Opera and folklorists affiliated with Norsk Folkemuseum. Performance customs integrate costumes like the bunad and ceremonial usages linked to weddings, harvests, and national days such as Constitution Day (Norway), with music-dance ensembles often supported by cultural bodies including Arts Council Norway and municipal cultural offices.
Twentieth- and twenty-first-century revival involves collaborations between traditionalists and artists on labels like Heilo, Grappa Music, and festivals such as Vossa Jazz, Festivalen i Førde, and Riddu Riđđu Festival. Contemporary practitioners include Annbjørg Lien, Veslefrikk, Hedningarna-associated artists, Gåte-linked musicians, and ensembles from institutions like Norwegian Academy of Music and University of Bergen who mix folk with jazz, rock, and electronic idioms. Research and pedagogy at Telemark University College, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, and archives such as Folkemusikkarkivet sustain repertoire transmission, while cultural policy initiatives by Ministry of Culture (Norway), Arts Council Norway, and community groups support apprenticeships, recordings, and international collaborations with World Music Expo and touring networks.
Category:Norwegian music