It has been fifteen years since Queen Horn of the kingdom of Schwartzend defeated the invading demon hordes, fifteen years since Bass, the Demon Warlord, was forced to abandon his body and take control of the body of a young woman.  It was fifteen years of peace, as the demons trapped behind Queen Horn's magical barrier schemed and plotted. Now, the barrier has been broken.  The demons are finally free to seek out their leader, the High Demon Lord Kestra, and free him from the confines of Pandora's Box.  But in the myth, when all of the evils of the world were released from the box, the one thing left inside, the one thing that all the terrors of the world paled in comparison to, was Hope.
HAAMERUN NO VIOLIN HIKI (THE VIOLINIST OF Harmeln), appears at first glace to be yet another RPG-based animated TV series.  Its origins as a half-serious, half-humorous manga in an RPG-oriented anthology title (GAN GAN, published by game giant Enix) might lead one to expect another SLAYERS.  But VIOLINIST drops almost all the comedy, leaving a piece of heavily-plotted dark fantasy.
The protagonists are  the violinist Harmel and a young woman named Flute. They are thrust into the centuries-old conflict between humans and demonic forces, where they discover secrets about themselves and their past that may either force the tides of darkness back altogether, or bring about the final fall of humanity. Harmel is the brooding antihero, unsure of his role, unwilling to take sides, and fearing what he is becoming.  Flute starts out as the stereotypical "maiden in distress," but soon becomes frustrated with that role, and attempts to grow out of it.
The supporting cast is also well-developed. Of special note are the villans of the series, especially Bass (pronounced with a long "a," like the instrument). "He" appears as a young woman in a military uniform, carrying a bearded head wearing a matching hat, and speaks in the combined voice of the girl and his own.
Characters in VIOLINIST not only grow in power and responsibility, but they change in fundamental and sometimes unexpected ways.  Things progress, the world changes, and certain characters take actions which cannot be taken back.
The music in the series is also well-done.  In particular, the OP (which does not play until the second episode) is maddeningly addictive; "Magical Labyrinth" is a mix of violin music, techno, j-pop, and distorted vocals which the author is at a loss to explain its appeal.  The ED is less unusual, but also very well-done.
Two things may distance people from the series on first sight.  First, the stylization of the characters is rather extreme in some cases (such as the raven Oboe), and extends to physical items such as Harmel's violin.  The violin is easily the size of a cello, and yet is played violin-style, over the shoulder.  Lyre, another character, is also able to summon magical effects with music, but his instrument of choice is a piano.  This piano is smaller than normal, and appears to be enchanted to levitate under his control; he normally has it slung on his back like a large backpack.  Some people consider this sort of thing to be unbearably silly, but it is easy to get used to.
Second, the direction is unusual in that it makes extensive use of still frames.  Unlike many series, where the animation is medium-quality throughout, VIOLINIST alternates between high-quality for television (although not nearly in the same class as ESCAFLOWNE or EVANGELION) and no animation at all.  For example, in a scene in the first episode where Flute and Harmel are running through the village, the dialogue is spoken on top of a series of high-quality still-frames.
Some are immediately put off by this, and consider it to be a major problem with the series. Others feel that this is merely a conscious choice in style;  when viewed as such, the series is not harmed at all.  The still-frames give the series a "storybook" feel, and allow the series budget to be saved for the occasional mind-blowingly well-animated sequence, such as fight scenes, dramatic escapes, and summonings.
Originally intended to be a longer series, poor ratings in Japan have caused the series to be cut back to twenty-six episodes.  This may actually be a good thing for the series' overall quality, as this restriction may bring about a tighter resolution to the plot.
All in all, THE VIOLINIST OF HARMELN is an enjoyable, addictive series.  Unfortunately, it is so very plot and dialogue-heavy that without translation, its strengths may not immediately be evident.  If translations are available, the author can recommend the series without hesitation.

HAAMERUN NO VIOLIN HIKI Copyright 1996 Watanabe Michiaki/Enix, Pony Canyon, Adex Television Broadcast 2 October 1996 - 26 March 1997 17:00, Wednesdays TV Tokyo Video Release 2 parts of 3 volumes, 4 episodes each (5 episodes in Part 2, Volume III) 95 minutes each (120 minutes in Part 2, Volume III) Pony Canyon 18 January 1997 - 21 March 1997, 16 May 1997 - 18 July 1997 ¥5974