Mermaids

Instrumentation: contrabass duo

Duration: 7′

Program note:

The contrabass has an incredibly wide spectrum of sounds that can be produced from total noise to pure tone. For this work, I wished to explore that spectrum to find those sounds of “inbetween-ness” – those sounds of constant transition, change, and instability. The dialogue between the two basses is always in motion, always seeking common ground and balance, yet the conversation yields a murky residue in its wake. There is an elegance and beauty to these two icons, standing side by side as a pair; there is also something sinister, something bubbling under the surface. This work was written for Keri Pertuit and Maddi Wanner.

performance by Keri Devilynn Pertuit and Madeleine Wanner