'Little Freddie with his Fiddle'

Subject: 'Little Freddie with his Fiddle'
From: Abby Sale
Date: 07 Dec 02 - 03:10 PM

Am reading Norwegian Folk Tales, from the collection of Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, 1812-1885 and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe, 1813-1882, (trans. Pat Shaw Iverson & Carl Norman) New York, Viking Press, 1960.

I've seen the same (following) tale in Irish collections but with all different gift-details and thought nothing of it.

In Asbjørnsen/Moe the tale is called "Little Freddie with his Fiddle." One of the elements is a magic fiddle Freddie receives as a boon.  While he plays, everyone in hearing range is forced to continue dancing, even past exhaustion and pain.  He uses it to great effect when he is attacked. His attackers always agree to leave him alone if he will stop playing.  (I suppose many have offered "anything you like" to novice fiddler if s/he would only stop playing, but that has nothing to do with my question.)

I'd very much like to know if Edvard Grieg uses this story in any of his major works or lieder.

The reason for my question in that on reading the tale I was struck by the similarity to a song in the musical play, Song of Norway.  I'm sure you know the show was based, with some historical accuracy, on Grieg's life and it used selections from many of his pieces.  I saw the play on Broadway in 1945 and one or two bits stay with me.  Possibly because the music was
so compelling to me back then. One song to the tune (I now know) of Norwegian Dance No. 2 in A (from Opus 35) was "Freddy and his Fiddle.  To the best of my recollection some of the words were:

        Freddie and his fiddle will keep it up until we get
          unsteady in the middle...from wear and tear
        Freddie and his fiddle are at it in the square.

I've been told the it began:
        I can't dance, you can't dance,
        But let's admit we're definitely dancing.
        That is a phenomenon nobody doubts,
        Yet it's very common on nights hereabouts,
        Freddie and his fiddle are at it in the square again,
        Freddie and his fiddle will  make a preacher dance,
        An undertaker hop, ......    and never let it stop.....

I had always assumed that the writers of the show just used his music, not any of his text and that this fantasy song just had to do with a skilled musician, not a magic fiddle.  However, the similarities seem far too great to be coincidence.

Can you point me to the full words to this song in Song of Norway
AND/OR
the words (in English, hopefully) to any song Grieg may have used for his "Dance No 2 in A" or a "Freddie" piece in any other of his material
AND/OR
Any recorded version of "Little Freddie with his Fiddle" as a trad song?

I've done considerable web and library search but no luck so far.  The show seems well-known (a movie and is in small-theater production continuously) but not archived on any of the musicals web-sites I've found so far.

I thank youse.

Subject: RE: 'Little Freddie with his Fiddle'
From: CapriUni
Date: 07 Dec 02 - 03:31 PM

Fascinating question! I don't have the answer, but am here with ears (eyes) perked.

I know the story (not well enough to recite off the top of my head, though), but not the musical...

Subject: RE: 'Little Freddie with his Fiddle'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 07 Dec 02 - 08:25 PM

Sound clip for "Freddy & His Fiddle" is HERE.
~Masato