MELIA WATRAS: Vetur öngum lánar lið
for violin and cello (2017)

 
Photo courtesy of Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir

Photo courtesy of Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir

 

World Premiere: Michael Jinsoo Lim, violin; Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir, cello; December 6, 2018, Port Angeles, WA

Duration: 2:52

Program Notes:
Springing from my friendship with the amazing cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir, Vetur öngum lánar lið (Winter aids no one) found its beginnings with Sæunn’s generosity in sharing her feelings about Iceland, her homeland. The work’s title comes from a poem by Bjarni Jónsson, Sæunn’s great-grandfather. That poem and an additional Jónsson work, Ævidansinn (The Dance of a Lifetime) provided the text for the original version of the composition, which I scored for voice and cello.

—Melia Watras

Vetur öngum lánar lið is part of the cycle, Firefly Songs. It can be performed independently, in different combinations with the other works, or as part of the complete set.

Melia Watras: Vetur öngum lánar lið for violin and cello (2017)
Michael Jinsoo Lim, violin; Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir, cello