Polkett efter Gusten i Hasseldal
A Polkett is just what one might guess, a light polka. A polkett danced is similar to a polka, but with very small steps.
This tune, from the valley of Frykerud in the province of Värmland, is a good example of this kind of piece. It comes to us from the playing of a fiddler known as Gusten i Hasseldal. Hasseldal is not a town, but just the local name for a small valley, or perhaps a farm.
A. P. Thorén was a fiddler and collector of tunes in Värmland. This video shows him with a local fiddlers’ team playing several tunes he collected. The first one in the video is Gusten i Hasseldal’s polkett.
Here is a video of myself playing the tune, with my wife Margie playing piano behind me.