''Rebonds'' is a composition for solo percussion by Greek composer

Iannis Xenakis Giannis Klearchou Xenakis (also spelled for professional purposes as Yannis or Iannis Xenakis; el, Γιάννης "Ιωάννης" Κλέαρχου Ξενάκης, ; 29 May 1922 – 4 February 2001) was a Romanian-born Greek-French avant-garde ...

. It was composed between 1987 and 1989 and, together with '' Psappha'', is one of the two compositions for solo percussion by Xenakis.

Composition

''Rebonds'' was written for percussionist , for whom Xenakis had also dedicated other chamber compositions, such as '' Komboï''. It was later published by Éditions Salabert, in an edition revised by Patrick Butin. Many different elements of this piece, such as the ideas of indeterminancy, and the fact that the piece sounds as if more than one person is playing, creates a new sound for solo percussionists.

Structure

The composition is in two autonomous movements, named ''A'' and ''B''. The first movement uses only skins, with two

bongos Bongos ( es, bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. They are struck with both hands, most commonly in an eight-stroke pattern called ''martillo'' (hammer). The ...

, three

tom-toms A tom drum is a cylindrical drum with no snares, named from the Anglo-Indian and Sinhala language. It was added to the drum kit in the early part of the 20th century. Most toms range in size between in diameter, though floor toms can go as l ...

, and two

bass drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...

s. The second movement, however, uses two bongos, one tumba, one tom-tom, one

, and a set of five wood blocks or wooden slats. According to Xenakis, the order of the composition is not fixed: either first ''A'', then ''B'', or vice versa, but both movements should be performed

attacca A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mus ...

Reception

''Rebonds'' has been very well received by critics and musicians. Jacques Longchamp called it an "immense abstract ritual, a suite of movements and of hammerings without any folkloristic "contamination", pure music full of marvellously efflorescent rhythms, going beyond drama and tempest. A new masterpiece".

Notable recordings

The following is a list of notable performances of this composition:

References

{{Authority control Compositions by Iannis Xenakis 1989 compositions Percussion music