MELIA WATRAS: Vetur öngum lánar lið
for violin and viola (2017)
Photo courtesy of Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir
World Premiere: Yura Lee, violin; Melia Watras, viola; May 27, 2018, Seattle, 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.