A composition for prepared violin & cello.

Written for the Amsterdam Bridge Ensemble in 2011.

Phonophobia is a fear of loud sounds. It can also mean fear of voices, for instance the fear of listening to one’s own voice. In this composition the violin and cello are hypersensitive to the sound they produce themselves. By playing the instruments with clothing pins and key rings the sound of the instruments is altered and slightly muffled. The challenge of this composition does not lie in any technical difficulties of playing the instrument, but in dealing with the coincidences that may occur in the sound that is made. The musicians are not allowed to play loud as if they are afraid of the sound they make. The fact that the pins and rings have a slight chance of falling off the string during the performance may add to this experience.

Phonophobia performed by Amsterdam Bridge Ensemble (Jacobien Rozemond and Doris Hochscheid) at:

- 22 December 2011: AxesJazzpower, Eindhoven

- 20 December 2011: DE LINK, Tilburg

- 18 December 2011: De Toonzaal, Den Bosch

- 9 December 2011: première at De Nieuwe Veste, Breda