Old-Time Fiddler's Repertory: Historic Field Recordings of Forty-One Traditional Tunes

 Old-Time Fiddler’s Repertory: Historic Field Recordings of Forty-one Traditional Tunes contains 27 breakdowns, 4 quadrilles, 8 “pieces,” and 2 waltzes, most from the companion print volume The Old-Time Fiddler’s Repertory: 245 Traditional Tunes.

 

The fiddlers and tunes featured on this CD are a rare find for anyone interested in old-time fiddle music—only five or six of them have ever before been recorded commercially. The original recordings were not made in an elaborate sound studio; rather, R. P. Christeson, using a simple wire machine, recorded old-time fiddle music being played at dances, in front yards, and on back porches. This does not in any sense minimize the worth of these recordings. Instead, it adds to their value, for through them is preserved the pure American art of old-time fiddling.