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I wish you would come back to dance,
to shine,
to spray,
Like a fountain crazy with joy;
I wish you to be reborn in my arms,
And then walk,
As if nothing had happened”.
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Audio Control Turn on Yuval's sonic flow
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Performing: Meitar Ensemble
String quartet (2 violins, viola, cello,) + live electronics, live performance, live video projection (back screen), software programming
L’Altro suono Festival as part of Modena UNESCO City of Media Arts
Teatro Comunale “L. Pavarotti” Modena, Italy – 24 March 2023 (world premiere)

About Birds, interpreted in both its musical and performance parts by Ensamble Meitar, presents a complex score (written by Avital in his first lockdown), with an amount of musical references – such as tight rhythmic writing, modal melodic ‘chants’, timbral and post-spectralist sections, atonal polyphony, aleatory parts and graphic sections – and an extremely rich and articulate performance part – symbolic actions, gestural ‘testimonies’, elements of musical theatre and singing.

Similar to Avital’s synaesthetic-aesthetic line of research, the About Birds stage is icon-sonic, an arena in which sound expression (musical, digital, vocal and noise) has equal importance to visual expression (video-art, installation, performance art).
The string quartet therefore performs both the musical score and the performative actions, alternating moments of sound and symbolic actions on stage.
Six ‘domestic grids’ – scenic rectangles created by the artist with unexpected house objects – are displayed on the stage, symbolising imprisonment
and at the same time creating micro performance action areas. Joining the corridors of light created on the stage, the simple design of a house emerges, which from the period of lockdown has proved to be a fundamental component in our lives, both a refuge and a cage. At the back of the stage there is the projection of the video resulting from the artistic seclusion and digitally reworked by Avital.

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Massive Sonic Works:

/ˈmæsɪv ˈsɒnɪk wɜːrks/

Large-scale performances using collective participation to create powerful sound masses.

Yuval Avital’s “Massive Sonic Works” or “Opera di Massa Sonora” involves the creation of large-scale performances that utilize collective participation to craft a unique sound experience. These works focus on forming powerful sound masses through the collaboration of numerous performers, exploring new possibilities through sound rituals. The compositions often include graphic visual elements, written music, and easy-to-read instructions to allow interpretation by individuals without prior musical experience. This approach, sometimes involving hundreds of participants, aims to create what can be described as “crowd music.”

Some key works in Avital’s repertoire include:

– GARON (2012): An opera for 45 bass tubas do, percussions, and a crowd of performers.

– KARAGATAN (2013): A composition for 100 gongs and bamboo in the Philippines.

– REKA (2014): Commissioned by the Warsaw Autumn Festival and co-produced by the MiTo festival in Milan, involving traditional singers from unique cultures such as Tibetan, Zulu, Sardinian, Mongolian, and Samarkand traditions.

One of Avital’s significant compositions is MISE EN ABÎME, a milestone work that marks the beginning of his “Massive Sonic Works” series. Premiered in 2011, this composition involves a large ensemble of 100-200 non-musician vocalists, accordions, bass tubas, soprano, bass clarinet, percussions, didgeridoo, and conductors directing the performance in an immersive setup.

Another notable work is URLA, an immersive sonic experience with over 300 performers, showcasing diverse musical traditions in Matera, Italy. This piece combines traditional elements with modern instrumentation, theatrical actions, and innovative technological approaches, reflecting Yuval Avital’s interdisciplinary and transcultural artistic vision.

Yuval Avital’s creations blend complexity, cultural diversity, and technological innovation to create immersive and participatory sonic experiences that push the boundaries of traditional music composition and performance.