Hangamatta

"Hangamatta" translates as "hammock" in German. I grew up spending my summers with my cousins at my grandparents' farm, and we have countless memories of helping our "Pop" around the farm, playing in the woods, eating "Mema's" home cooked meals, and relaxing around the house. However, one of our favorite pastimes was playing on "Pop's" hammock. It was hung between two perfectly placed trees, and we would swing the hammock back and forth and try to throw each other out. It was a splendid game offering hours of fun until we were caught by Mema or got hurt, and much of the music is meant to depict this activity. Of course, the hammock was best used for what it was intended, and it was not uncommon for one or more of us to be taking an afternoon nap in it. This is portrayed by the "free time" section in the middle of the piece. Although afternoon naps were an essential part of our summer on the farm, naps seldom went without interruption. Falling asleep in that hammock came at the risk of being thrown out by a cousin, and that is what happens following the dream-like "free time" section.