STRANDS
Stefan Hakenberg, 1999

In two movements, Strands, for koto and trombone, celebrates the wealth of subtle relationships between the various modes of intonation possible on the two instruments. Strands simultaneously explores the enormous contrast between their sound characteristics. The first movement can be
characterized as a toccata the second one as a perpetual canon. The composition employs various extended playing techniques that make it a show piece for virtuoso interpreters. Due to the flexibility of the compositional process, Strands sometimes leans toward sounds associated with traditional materials for the two instruments. At other times the instruments seem to pull each other into their corresponding realms, imitating and extending each others' sounds.