“Hope" is the thing with feathers —
That perches in the soul —
And sings the tune without the words —
And never stops — at all —
And sweetest — in the Gale — is heard —
And sore must be the storm —
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm —
I've heard it in the chillest land —
And on the strangest Sea —
Yet — never — in Extremity,
It asked a crumb — of me.
Emily Dickinson (1830-1885)
I believe, this short poem captures the spirit that I am wanting to express with my recording project – there is always something hopeful and selfless in our lives, even in the darkest times, “the chillest land and on the strangest Sea.” Music is a unique way to express and relate to the human experience, and it is my hope that this collection of solo violin music will connect with other people in the same uplifting way as this poem and these compositions connected with me. There is quite a bit of musical, stylistic, and technical variety in the project, as it features works by composers from various backgrounds and cultures. My intent was not just to express hope and light but also to build bridges between different societies and civilizations. I do believe that these musical bridges can give us light and hope for the better, more peaceful future.
Igor Kalnin, September 2023
DUO MEMDI: EMBRACING DIVERSITY
The objective of Duo MemDi is to perform music that embraces the diversity of world cultures. Particularly, we focus on commissioning and performing music of composers from underrepresented groups. All of our live performances are from memory – a rare feat in the world of chamber music. We feel that it allows for a connection to composers’ ideas in a more holistic and insightful way. These ideals inspired the name of the duo: Mem[ory] and Di[versity] = MemDi.
The desire to produce our first recording as Duo MemDi is in response to the audiences who have inquired about our future projects upon hearing and seeing our live performances. Our motivation for this project is to recognize the different faces of classical music and pair new compositions with works from the standard repertoire to promote inclusivity. The new works featured are by Jeffrey Mumford and Anton Prischepa, composers of African-American and Russian descent, respectively. Our debut recording highlights a few of the many approaches to incorporating folk music elements in modern classical music, featuring new and old works that represent the essence of our Duo.
LULLABIES, VOL. 2 (2021)
BY LUTHER COLLEGE MUSIC DEPARTMENT
Track 7 - Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847). Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E minor, Op. 64. II. Andante
Igor Kalnin, violin
Daniel Baldwin, conductor
Luther College Symphony Orchestra
From live performance on February 10, 2019
Center for Faith and Live, Decorah, IA