In this strikingly attractive album, Norwegians Nils �kland and Sigbj�rn Apeland pay tribute to one of the larger-than life figures in their country's musical history - composer/performer Ole Bull (1810-1880). It's a recording that will appeal across a wide range: to classical listeners, devotees of improvisation and admirers of folk music.
This is the first album ever recorded in Bull's former home, the spectacular Villa Lys� on the island of Lys�en, off Norway's west coast. Both Nils and Sigbj�rn were previously directors of the Ole Bull Academy in Voss and have an encyclopaedic grasp not only of Bull's music but also the sources that inspired it.
Now primarily known for his melodic and romantic orchestral music, Ole Bull in his day was celebrated for his extraordinary virtuosity as a violinist and for his improvisational prowess. His most ardent admirers ranged from Franz Liszt and Edvard Grieg to Mark Twain and William Thackeray, and many critics at the time regarded him as a natural successor to Paganini. He played at most of the European courts but also had a lifelong love of folk music, and befriended many of Norway's hardanger fiddle players.
Nils �kland and Sigbj�rn Apeland: We don't claim to improvise as Bull did, but we use many of the same themes that he used, and - as with him - our improvisations are often based on Norwegian folk music. The recording marks an ECM debut for Sigbj�rn Apeland. Nils �kland's solo debut for the label, Monograph, was released in 2008 to rave reviews. �kland has a reputation as a renewer of folk-based music, and he has long bridged the distance between traditional and experimental music. He's also on two jazz albums with the Christian Wallumr�d Ensemble.
Personnel: Nils �kland (violin, hardanger fiddle), Sigbj�rn Apeland (piano, harmonium)
