Week #378 ~ Astrid's waltz

  1. Barbara Shultz
    Barbara Shultz
    I am on the road and having to post this week's winner a day early, and from my phone! The early part is no problem, as we have a hands down winner already, Astrid's Waltz. I am not familiar with this tune, and we learned in the past I don't do well copying and pasting links from my phone! So, I am depending on some of my helpful group members to find and link to some notation and videos! Thanks!
  2. Bob Michel
    Bob Michel
    This is a favorite waltz of mine. I posted a concertina version on YouTube last fall:



    And here's a new setting, this time with mandolin front and center:



    Bob Michel
    Near Philly
  3. maudlin mandolin
    maudlin mandolin
    Here is the link to The Session https://thesession.org/tunes/10065
  4. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    I recorded this lovely waltz last year -- below is my old recording and a link to the sheet music I used.

    This is a Swedish waltz, originally from the repertoire of the group Norrlåtar (from Norrbotten), who recorded it on their 1978 album "Urminnes Hävd". My 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
  5. David Hansen
    David Hansen
    Here's a link to "Astrid's Waltz" aka "Astrid Valse" from 2010 when it was an "other" tune:

    http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/gr...760&do=discuss
  6. David Hansen
    David Hansen
    Here's my video from the 2010 thread. I originally thought this was a traditional Swedish waltz but now it seems that the tune was written by Norwegian Harald Saevrud. Oh the twisted ways of traditional music.

  7. crisscross
    crisscross
    Nice versions, Gentlemen! But as I found out, this tune is neither Swedish nor Norwegian, it's Finnish. I googled the lyrics, and they are full of Ä, typical for the Finnish language. And I found a notice in a German Finnland-forum, that Astridin Waltz reached place 21 in a The-saddest-song -contest in Finnland. But I had some fun playing it:

    BTW: When I searched the tune on Youtube, I found Michael Reichenbach playing Evelyn Tiffany-Castiglioni's version for 3 mandolins with guitar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y8Ohcimrf0
    It's in the E-book Winter's Tale 5, that's downloadable for free here:
    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...ghlight=Evelyn
    On to the next waltz...Margaret's??
  8. Robert Balch
    Robert Balch
    Very beautiful crisscross.
  9. crisscross
    crisscross
    Thank you Robert!
  10. Hendrik Luurtsema
    Hendrik Luurtsema
    Very beautiful Crisscross... nice sweet tremolo!
  11. crisscross
    crisscross
    Thanks Hendrik!
  12. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    I came across this waltz recently as someone passed on a score to me with a harmony part which seemed rather pretty. I had a browse through the SAW back catalogue and found this thread with some lovely versions of the tune here. I missed it last year, I think.

    Here is my attempt at it using the score and the harmony. Played on octave, mandolin and keyboard, though the keyboard is very much in the background, just repeating the melody line in the mix. Recorded as usual via REAPER, and the pictures are of local favourite place Loch Eck, and taken just a few hours ago this morning.

  13. Christian DP
    Christian DP
    Fine recording John!
    Now I will look, what REAPER is in the musical world.
  14. Simon DS
    Simon DS
    Gallant playing there John, nice repartee between the instruments and good presence. And you too Christian, really fine playing, an inspiration. I thought I’d missed this but in fact I bought my octave only a couple of days after your posting of this tune way back in 2019. Seems like a long time now.

    It’s funny though, I remember listening to you guys playing, and thinking, I’ll never be able to play like them, to get through the tune twice, never!
    Let alone do sets of tunes, so thanks to you guys!
  15. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    Thanks, John -- sounding great as usual!

    For some reason, my recent recording recorded during lockdown isn't in this thread. Here it is:



    Amalgamated from two different arrangements: harmonies by Michel Van Der Meiren first repeat, Evelyn second repeat.

    Martin
  16. Frithjof
    Frithjof
    John, you play all the tunes with such an amount of musical experience. Melody, harmony, accompaniment (in other cases) and arrangement – all fits together.

    To listen to all the other fine recordings was a pleasure, too.
  17. Frithjof
    Frithjof
    Martin, I enjoyed your rendition too.
  18. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Once again, my thanks to you all for positive comments.

    Christian, your version from 2019 demonstrates beautiful tremelo technique, and I like the tempo you have chosen for your performance. You mention REAPER, my DAW of choice. It can be downloaded free as a full program for evaluation purposes. I still use an early version I purchased and the laptop I use for my recordings still runs on Windows XP! I do not have it connected to the internet as it is no longer protected since XP was dropped, but I find it a stable platform and have seen no reason to change from it.

    Martin, I really liked your hybrid harmonies in this performance. It is always so instructive to listen to the various versions we all come up with in this group; widens our horizons so much.

    Simon and Frithjof, you are as encouraging as ever with your support. We are lucky to have this group, especially at this time in our lives when music makes things so much more bearable.
  19. Ginny Aitchison
    Ginny Aitchison
    All are very nice, very well done. I enjoyed listening to them all.
  20. Christian DP
    Christian DP
    In my 2019 attempt. I used lots of tremolo. Now I'm trying the reststroke approach. And I wanted to practice a scale, that has a bflat in the third position. So I transposed Astrid's Waltz to d minor and now it works. I've still got to practice the notes in the higher register, but I hope my efforts don't deter you:
  21. Michael Romkey
    Michael Romkey
    Nicely done! Everybody, indeed. I'd missed this one. Nothing like a Norwegian waltz!
  22. Ginny Aitchison
    Ginny Aitchison
    WoW - CC you are way up in the dust end of the fretboard...and it sounds very good. I can hear the benefits of your rest strokes.
  23. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Interesting transposition and change of octave from your previous version, Christian, and you are certainly "boldly going" up the fretboard in your recent forays. Since you have identified the tune as being Finnish, I like your inclusion of the Finnish flag in your video.

    I think I still prefer your first version - neither is "better", I just like listening to the lower register in the first one. Your guitar on both is really well played and recorded and I love the tone you get from it.
  24. Gelsenbury
    Gelsenbury
    Haha, another picture of Wuppertal!

    The transposition to Dm has worked well, and you are certainly mastering the third position. It all sounds great!

    Unlike Ginny, though, I can't hear too much difference made by the rest strokes. I've read a description of the technique many times, but your picking has always been clear and full in tone.
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