Hurv KRCD-35: Historical Recordings of Swedish Folk Music IX: Perols Gudmund Olsson, Fiddler from Rättvik

Perols Gudmund Olsson (1890-1981) was one of Rättvik's foremost fiddlers of the 20th century. He was born and raised in Gärdebyn, in the southern part of the parish. His father, Perols Olof Olsson, was born 1842 and his mother, Anna Ersdotter, was born 1848. Gudmund was one of seven children. The others were Olof (1870-1956), Erik, Anders, Anna, Britta and Lars. The beautifully situated Gärdebyn offered not just a fantastic view over Lake Siljan but also a superb overview of the fiddling traditions of Rättvik with outstanding fiddlers both in his home village and the neighboring villages.

Gudmund started playing fiddle at the age of eight on a borrowed instrument — "Fiddles were everywhere." He looked up to his older brother Olof as a model. A man who came to mean a great deal to Gudmund as a teacher was relative and neighbor Pers Gudmund Hansson (1839-1909).

The booklet contains 32 pages of detailed notes in both English and Swedish, as well as a rich treasure-chest of archive photos.