Composition

viola, cello, toy piano

"Rust and Anchors," in the words of the composer, "explores ideas associated with literal and figurative pressure, and ended up being much more nautical than I expected. The string players are asked to bow with increasing amounts of pressure, which gradually squeezes the pitch out of the sound. The toy piano is squeezed between the two string parts, the sound emerging only for a second. Much of the piece is unmeasured, putting pressure on the players to watch each other carefully for points of synchronization. I hear the groans of sunken wrecks collapsing under the weight of the ocean, little bubbles escaping. But maybe that's just me.