Astridin Valssi (Swedish waltz)

[Martin Jonas]

This is a Swedish waltz, originally from the repertoire of the group Norrlåtar (from Norrbotten), who recorded it on their 1978 album "Urminnes Hävd". This arrangement is from Michel Van Der Meiren's site, who says he learned it from the Swiss folk band Tamatakia:

http://www.tangosite.com/concertina/.../astridin-vals

Tamatakia's recording is available as a free MP3 from their website: Link

I have also seen the tune referred to as "Astridin Vals", "Astrid Waltz", "Valse Astrid" and "Astreidin". The tempo of the various recorded versions varies from quite fast to very slow. I think a quicker tempo suits the tune, and have recorded it like that.

I have adapted and recorded the arrangement for a trio of mandolin, octave mandolin and tenor guitar:

Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin
Mid-Missouri M-111 octave mandolin
Ozark tenor guitar



Martin

[scifi]

Nice tune. Thank you for sharing :-)

[crisscross]

Enjoyed listening to this waltz.

[rubydubyr]

very enjoyable

[mandocrucian]

The title is in Finnish.

Doesn't really sound that Swedish to me, but it sure is similar to a lot of Finnish stuff I listened to and played (which in many of the waltzes has a Russian influence.) Maybe one of the Finns such as Seppo S will comment.

NH

[Martin Jonas]

Thanks, Niles. Yes, I had picked up on the Finnish title and commented on it in my crossposting to David Hansen's old thread for this tune here. I suspect you're right that the tune is ultimately Finnish, but the provenance is a bit confused: there are quite a few recordings of the tune, amateur and professional, and they generally say it's Swedish and use the Swedish name "Astridin Vals" or French (for some reason) "Valse Astrid". However, the earliest recording I can find, and the one given as the source for the tune in the score I used as well as the comprehensive Spillefolk.de site, is the 1978 Norrlåtar version. They are a Swedish band, but they used the Finnish version of the title, "Astridin Valssi", which is why I also used that title. The name Astrid itself, of course, is more Swedish than Finnish although no doubt there are quite a few women of that name in Finland, too.

Whatever the origin, I like the tune and I think the Tangosite arrangement is pretty effective, too.

Martin

[crisscross]

which in many of the waltzes has a Russian influence.)

Isn't the ending "-in" Russian, like Pushkin meaning literally translated "the gun's"

[Arto]

In Finnish the genetive ending is -n (Arton = Arto´s) or -in after a consonant (Astridin = Astrid´s). I don´t know Russian but in this case it has nothing to do with that language.

If the tune comes from Norbotten, there in no controversy about the Finnish name and Swedish band. Norbotten is the northernmost district of Sweden, was originally populated by Sami people and later by both Swedes and Finns, and there used to be a lot of Finnish culture in that part of Scandinavia. In northeasternmost part of Norway, too. The Finnish dialect of Norrbotten is called Meänkieli ("our language"). Its proponents consider it a language of its own, but this has more to do with politics and local pride than linquistics, IMHO. (A famous quote comes to mind: " A language is a dialect with an army and a navy".)
:-) Arto