Afternoon Tea and Concert at Historic Piltingsrud Gard

Die Schöne Müllerin

Farm owner and farmer Rasmus Piltingsrud, together with his cousin Marianne Langseth, met us at the barn and showed us around so that we could get a sense of the surroundings where, in less than three months, our guests will sit and listen to Die Schöne Müllerin by Franz Schubert. It is rare for an entire concert to be dedicated to a single composer, but we dare to do it!

– There is room for the full spectrum of emotions, and yet the music is both beautiful, melodic, and surprising, says Alf Richard Kraggerud, this year’s artistic director, about the song cycle, which will be performed by pianist Marianna Shirinyan and tenor Eirik Grøtvedt.

A Farm Full of Curiosities

Rasmus Piltingsrud told us about the history of the farm, or “gard” as he calls it in dialect. The history dates back to the 1790s when the family came from Bergsund in Årdal to settle here and run a forestry farm. Now, with Rasmus’s daughter also involved in the farm operations, it is the eighth generation managing the farm.

It is impossible not to notice some of the objects both outside and inside the barn. For example, a dragon head hangs above the entrance, and old furniture and artifacts from different eras and cultures are scattered throughout.

– These farms, at least here in southern Valdres, had a lot of contact with the rest of the world, says Rasmus, explaining that some of the furniture and tools, such as a welding machine, came from America. This reflects the family’s curiosity and how they were almost pioneers, bringing such items and making them part of the farm.

Welcome to a Special Day

Now it is your turn to explore the farm’s “museum,” enjoy the stunning nature with forests, rivers, valleys, and mountains, connect with the animals, sit in the garden, enjoy Afternoon Tea with farm products such as Angus roast beef and rhubarb tart on a summer day – and, of course, listen to Schubert’s wonderful music.

Welcome on Sunday, July 29, at 12 PM for Afternoon Tea, followed by the concert at 2 PM in these beautiful surroundings, which we hope and believe you will not forget.