ensemble piccolo, glockenspiel, two kickdrums
duration 6 minutes
written fall 2009
commissioned by Ian Rosenbaum
premièred March 26, 2010, New Haven, CT
published by ↪ Project Schott New York

Crashing Through Fences is written for two of the highest-pitched instruments: piccolo and glockenspiel. I was interested in creating a contrast between these innately unfeasible timbres and a long melody, unspooling over a sweet harmonic sequence.

It’s an almost uncomfortably intimate sort of piece—the two instruments interact hesitantly at first, then with increasing boldness. And at opportune moments, they savagely kick each other.

Rather than a bracing timbre, Andres created a warm, delicate effect, punctuated by each instrumentalist pounding a bass drum with a foot pedal. The piccolo explored a vaguely Bolero-esque melody as the textures gradually grew in size and intensity. It still retained the whimsical nature of two instruments “facing off” against each other, but Andres’ music went to a more special place…Like many of Andres’ pieces, one gets the feeling that there’s a complete final idea, and the piece unfolds as a gradual discovery and building up of the various melodic and rhythmic components, culminating in an unexpected four-on-the-floor techno section.

—Jake Cohen, consequenceofsound.net

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