Program Note
The Dungeness Crab is a large crab with a deep, reddish purple shell and large, imposing pincher claws. It grows up to 8-10 inches wide, molting its shell about ten times before reaching maturity. The Dungeness Crab lives in the eel grass along the ocean floor, feeding on clams, crustaceans, and small fish. Its name comes from the Port of Dungeness on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. In 2009, thanks to students at Sunset Primary School in West Linn, Oregon, the Dungeness Crab was named the State crustacean of Oregon. In this piece, the staccato broken chords represent the crab crawling along the ocean floor or the beach, looking for food. The legato lines depict the ocean currents.