Search - Hanneke Cassel :: Some Melodious Sonnet

Sweetness of tone with much emotional electricity

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 04/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Playing Time - 54:57 -- A superior instrumentalist, fiddler Hanneke Cassel shows expert attention to violin technique as she plays with a sweetness of tone that is also charged with much emotional electricity. That has become her unique flair. Her seven accompanists very ably embellish her enchanting repertoire and arrangements. They include Rushad Eggleston (cello), Christopher Lewis (guitar), Jake Armerding (mandolin, two cuts), Corey DiMario (bass), Casey Driessen (5-string fiddle, one cut), Dave Wiesler (piano, two cuts), and Aoife O-Donovan (vocals, one cut).



Cassel is a lyrical player who chooses a haunting tone for her fiddle in this album's mix. Rather than overbearing "in-your-face" audio quality, Hanneke's overall sound has the leanings of new world chamber music with a Scottish twist. Her enchanting repertoire draws from some of her favorite lady fiddlers, some Swedish friends, and the traditional canon ("Pigeon on the Gate"). Especially noteworthy, a majority of her jigs, strathspeys, airs and reels are original compositions. She's equally adept at a quick-paced romp through the opening set as she is with a more leisurely and reflective "Pieces of Us." A tune like "Fønix" has some powerful rhythmic intensity. Exceeding six minutes, one might wonder if the set of "Mothers of the Disappeared" and "The Evenstar" could become tedious. Hanneke demonstrates how dynamics and lyrical variation can be used to allow such a piece to musically breathe for smooth, flowing presentation.



Hailing from Port Orford, Oregon, Hanneke began studying violin at age 8 and really only has two years of classical training. She then moved to Texas-style and Scottish fiddling with plenty of awards, championships and albums along the way. She's the 1997 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion. Some of her teachers have included Carol Ann Wheeler, Alasdair Fraser, Buddy MacMaster, Mark O'Connor and Matt Glaser. Graduating in 2000, she also now holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Berklee College of Music in Boston where she currently resides.



All of the pieces on "Some Melodious Sonnet" display virtuoso musicianship. A smooth, silky touch of Hanneke's bow on the strings, along with such masterful techniques as the Scottish snap and plenty of triplets, intimately convey her music. A superior instrumentalist, she has a repertoire that both respects tradition and allows her to build a personalized signature sound. Closing the project on a contemplative and inspirational note, Hanneke sings "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." Only in her twenties, Hanneke Cassel is a truly gifted and charismatic artist whose youthful exuberance and optimism shine through and will take her far. I'd like to see her continue to write and really push the envelope into some truly uncharted territory. She's well on her way. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, Oregon)



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