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Retune. A toolbox for composing. Based on Hardanger fiddle music from Setesdal
Through music analysis and an investigation of compositional processes, the study uncovers and articulates often tacit insider knowledge of the primarily orally transmitted practice of the Hardanger fiddle.
Annbjørg Lien
PhD Candidate
The disputation will be held digitally, because of the Corona covid-19-situation. Spectators may follow the disputation digitally – link is available below.
Annbjørg Lien of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Agder has submitted her thesis entitled «Retune. A toolbox for composing. Based on Hardanger fiddle music from Setesdal”, and will defend the thesis for the PhD-degree Tuesday 22 September 2020
She has followed the PhD Programme at the Faculty of Fine Arts with Specialization in Popular Music Performance, at the University of Agder.
Summary of the thesis by Annbjørg Lien:
Retune. A toolbox for composing. Based on Hardanger fiddle music from Setesdal
Signature characteristics in music can inform our sense of a genre or repertoire or style’s particular processes and serve as tools for composing more of it.
This combined scientific and artistic study of popular music performance explores how Hardanger fiddle characteristics based on the tradition from Setesdal can be described as compositional tools.
Foot stomp and technical fingering
In terms of rhythmic tools, the study analyses the foot stomp and its bowing; in search of tools on melodic structure, the study looks at the little-researched aspect of fingering.
The fingering perspective is particularly relevant, as many Hardanger fiddlers read the fingers rather than a transcription when learning this music.
The research further activates the folk music term tak, which is understood as a melodic unit deriving from technical fingering issues. By exploring the transformation of a tak, the study frames variation as a principal creative process and also contributes new perspectives on punctuation in the Hardanger repertoire.
Articulates tacit knowledge
Through music analysis and an investigation of compositional processes, the study uncovers and articulates often tacit insider knowledge of the primarily orally transmitted practice of the Hardanger fiddle.
The use of Hardanger fiddle characteristics as tools for composing produces new tunes which tend to differ from my earlier composed works in both rhythm and melodic structure.
The thesis narrative and a CD with new compositions document these results and possibilities.
Disputation Facts
The trial lecture and the public defence will take place online, via the Zoom conferencing app (link below)
Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Marit Wergeland, will chair the disputation.
The trial lecture at 09:15 hours
Public defence at 11:15 hours
Given topic for trial lecture: «Principles for composing new tunes for the hardanger fiddle. The candidate Annbjørg Lien gives a theoretical and an illustrating artistic presentation of a chosen number of new compositions, based on compositional principals from the toolbox presented in her doctoral thesis.”
Thesis Title: “Retune. A toolbox for composing. Based on Hardanger fiddle music from Setesdal”
Search for the thesis in AURA - Agder University Research Archive, a digital archive of scientific papers, theses and dissertations from the academic staff and students at the University of Agder.
The Thesis is available here: https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2676707
The Candidate: Annbjørg Lien (1971, Ålesund) has, as a player on the Hardanger fiddle, been been promoting norwegian folk music nationally and internationally for 35 years. She has a solid background in the traditional expression through private studies by different master players - like Hauk Buen fromTelemark. Annbjørg also has a classical violin education and has performed works written for Hardanger fiddle and symphony orchestra. She is
strongly inspired by crossing musical borders, and takes folk music into new musical landscapes. See more on Annbjørg Lien's musical background and work on her home page (in english) - or in wikipedia or Setesdalswiki (in Norwegian only). Annbjørg Lien has released nine solo albums with her own band. As a member of the folk music group Bukkene Bruse she was an Olympic Games musician in 1994, and performed at the closing ceremony of the Winter Games at Lillehammer. She is a member of the international world music band String Sisters. In 2017 she was honoured with Anders Jahre's Cultural Prize (Anders Jahres Kulturpris - in Norwegian only) – one of Norways most important honorary rewards «for outstanding efforts preferably for Norwegian cultural life».
Discography
1983 — Eg er liten eg / I am just little me, unge folkemusikere.
1987 — I Seierstakt / Celebration med Aage Sogns Orkester
1988 — Kjellstadslåttar / Tunes from Kjellstad - Annbjørg
1989 — Annbjørg
1993 — Bukkene Bruse - Bukkene Bruse
1994 — Felefeber / Fiddlefantasia - Annbjørg
1995 — Åre - Bukkene Bruse
1996 — Prisme / Prism - Annbjørg
1998 — Steinstolen / The Stone Chair - Bukkene Bruse
1999 — Baba Yaga - Annbjørg
2001 — Den fagraste rosa - Bukkene Bruse
2002 — Aliens Alive - Annbjørg
2002 — 40 – kunstprosjekt Annbjørg Lien/ Bjørn Ole Rasch
2004 — Spel - Bukkene Bruse
2007 — String Sisters Live, cd og dvd
2008 — Waltz with me - Annbjørg
2009 — Come Home - Annbjørg Lien / Bjørn Ole Rasch
2010 — Alle vegne - Annbjørg Lien / Sondre Bratland
2012 — Khoom Loy - Annbjørg
2015 — Drifting like a Bird - Annbjørg
Opponents:
First opponent: Professor Ove Larsen, Faculty of Education and Arts, Nord University, Norway
Second opponent: Irish Traditional Music Lecturer Liz Doherty, PhD, School of Arts & Humanities, Ulster University, Northern Ireland, UK
Professor Geir Holmsen, Department of Popular Music, UiA, is appointed as the leader for the assessment committee. Professor Michael Rauhut, Department of Popular Music, UiA is appointed as a coordinator coordinator for the committee with main resoponsability to prepare the report and committee setting in english language, based on the evaluation from the committee members.
Supervisors were Professor Emeritus Tellef Kvifte, Department of Traditional Arts and Traditional Music, University of South-Eastern Norway (USN) (main supervisor) and Professor Tor Dybo, Department of Popular Music, University of Agder (co-supervisor)
What to do as an audience member:
The disputation is open to the public, but to follow the trial lecture and the public defence, which is transmitted via the Zoom conferencing app, you have to register as an audience member:
https://uia.pameldingssystem.no/disputas-annbjorg-lien-om-hvordan-karakteristikker-i-hardingfelemusikken-kan-fungere-som-komposisjonsverktoy A Zoom-link will be returned to you.
(Here are introductions for how to use Zoom: support.zoom.us if you cannot join by clicking on the link.)
We ask audience members to join the virtual trial lecture at 09:05 at the earliest and the public defense at 11:05 at the earliest. After these times, you can leave and rejoin the meeting at any time. Further, we ask audience members to turn off their microphone and camera and keep them turned off throughout the event. You do this at the bottom left of the image when in Zoom. We recommend you use ‘Speaker view’. You select that at the top right corner of the video window when in Zoom.
Opponent ex auditorio:
The chair invites members of the public to pose questions ex auditorio in the introduction to the public defense, with deadlines. Questions can be submitted to the chair, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, marit wergeland, at e-mail marit.wergeland@uia.no