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Instrumental Joy

Allen Salyer | Troy, MI United States | 07/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a purely instrumental album as the Karelian Folk Music Ensemble breathe new life into folk standards of Karelia, a region on the Finnish-Russian border. The trio of musicians, Igor Arhipoff, Alexander Bykadoroff and Arto Rinne from Petrozavodsk sing in Finnish, Karelian and Russian. "Shepherd Incantation" opens with the sound of flutes imitating a forest full of wild birds. As the flutes taper off, the song concentrates on one as stringed instruments merge in a walk through the woods. Wary animals peek around the corner to investigate the invading man. "Swallow Waltz" continues the bird theme in the context of a classical waltz. Enter big, swaying fiddles and pulsing accordion. The hammered dulcimer at the end adds a giddy light-headed feeling. The flutes and bagpipes in "Karelian Melody" sound like gypsies come to market in a line dance procession with odd buzzing horn. "Prisyatka" is a happy accordion tune with ukelele-like strings to beef up the sound. I enjoyed the jingle jangly delight of delicate kantele (Swedish harp) in "Kantele Ensemble." "Valaam Bells" uses kantele to imitate church bells. It is the sound of winter, snowflakes falling on tree lmbs. "Finnish Folk Melody #1" showcases fiddle with classical proclivities while "Melody #2" is a slow, elegant dance featuring mandolin, fiddle and accordion. The fiddles circle gayly around the "Happy Fellow" as guitar chords poke at the circle inquizitively. The album closes with the "Milk Polka," a wonderfully delightful kantele tune played so bright and warm, it could melt the coldest ice."