fiol was commissioned by the Rothko String Trio (Cliodhna Ryan - violin, Cian Ó Dúill - viola & Robin Michael - cello) in 2008 with funds provided by the Arts Council of Ireland. The soundworld of this piece was inspired by the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle (hardingfele). 'Fiol' was the predominant term used for 'fiddle' in DanishNorwegian of the 17th and 18th centuries. This instrument is mainly used for the performance of Norwegian folk music and is similar in construction to the violin, but with eight or nine strings. Four of the strings are strung and played like a violin, and the remaining strings, called 'sympathetic strings' resonate 'in sympathy' with the other four. Here I was interested in treating the trio as a single twelve-stringed 'meta-instrument' rather than as three separate voices, almost like a hardingfele or Baroque viola d'amore with sympathetic resonating strings. This is a live recording of the premiere at the Hugh Lane Gallery Dublin, 2008.

Fiol - Rothko String Trio

Linda Buckley