"Völuspá" for string trio, Zoë Martlew by zoemartlew

"Völuspá" for string trio by Zoë Martlew.

From live performance of U.S. premiere at Tanglewood Contemporary Music Festival, August 9th 2019, with Chi Li (vln), Samuel Pedersen (vla), Zoë Martlew (vc) at Linde Center, Tanglewood, Mass.

Inspired by the mysterious standing stones and goddess lore that abounds in the beautiful Dorset countryside surrounding Smedmore House (venue for the premiere of this trio) I’ve taken the title of this piece, “Völuspá”, from that of the Poetic Edda, the old Norse collection of anonymous poems in which the Norns appear, the three shadowy goddesses who weave Fate at their looms. In this light it is appropriate that there are three performers, spinning time with their strings...

The piece was written in the days immediately following the death of Oliver Knussen (1952-2018) to whom the piece is dedicated.

Commissioned by violinist Miranda Fulleylove, who also played in the first performance along with Clara Biss (viola) and Zoë on cello for Purbeck Arts Week Festival 2018.