MAJORSTUEN: Live in Concert
MAJORSTUEN
Live in Concert
Majorstuen Fiddler’s Co. 04
They may not be widely known outside Norway, but the five-piece fiddlerâs collective Majorstuen (which once included Ragnhild Furebotten) has been around for a decade and this live recording celebrates that anniversary. It comes after four studio albums and a compilation, and covers the spectrum of their career. With five violins itâs not so much as string section as a small orchestra, and quite capable of a stirring swoop of sound, as they prove on the glorious âHjelmeset.â There are careful shadings in the music, and âSo Roâ sounds dark, especially for a lullaby. Inevitably, thereâs a rousing polka set, several tunes strung together, with a sound that sounds like fin-de-siecle Vienna gone absolutely mad (in the best possible way). Thereâs real delicacy and sorrow in âVemodâ before closing with âRett Vest Med Eric Ăst,â long one of the staples of their live set. Theyâre accomplished and professional, but still with all the drive and joy of a young band. Maybe in their second decade their international reputation will justifiably grow.
â Chris Nickson