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Audio Control Turn on Yuval's sonic flow
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REKA – Massive Sonic Work n.4
For six traditional Vocal Soloists, two percussions, and a Crowd Music Ensemble Commissioned by
Warsaw Autumn Festival 2014,
Premieres Warsaw Autumn & MiTo SettembreMusica Milan, 2014;
VERSION 2 – Reggio Emilia Festival Aperto 2016

REKA (‘background’ in Hebrew) combines a large crowd of voices composed of local residents of the city in which the performances take place, six extraordinary soloists of rare ancient vocal techniques – from a Tibetan Bön Lama to the Tenores guttural singing of Sardinia (Unesco World Heritage), two virtuoso percussion soloists playing a complex set of gongs and ‘string piano’, and dozens of percussionists from all backgrounds recruited from local groups, schools, cultural centres and so on.
All these, co-ordinated by two conductors and accompanied by fascinating projections from selected parts of the graphic score, form an immersive 90-minute performance, a blend of performance art, a total opera and a ritual, uniting ancient traditions with contemporary music and theatre to a unique collective experience that invites everybody in.
First Commissioned in 2014 by Warsaw Autumn Festival, Yuval Avital’s REKA (Hebrew: “background”) is a large-scale sonic experiment that extends the human voice – the most essential sonic tool of all – to create a collage of techniques, aesthetics, shouts and whispers. A second element is the drum, the first musical instrument created, present in all cultures and styles.
The six vocal soloists in REKA represent a selection of some of the world’s most extraordinary masters of rare vocal traditions and vocal innovators. Some of them are renowned soloists of international fame, some are a part of UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, some are religious leaders, some are important singers in their community, fulfilling their traditional role as musical accompanies for their people in the cycle of life and death.

They are characterized by ancient roots as well as by a strong identity value in the contemporary context; however, it is interesting to remark that all them, apart from the Sardinian, bassu, live outside their original countries, some due to their career, some to exile, some to immigration. This fact can be a solid contradiction to the “exotic” approach to multiculturalism, which pre-assumes “remote” rather than diverse or complimentary.

Anyone can participate in REKA, joining the ‘Crowd’ sections by using her/his voice as an instrument, with no prior musical knowledge needed; or as part of the ‘Drums’ crowd, where all skill levels, styles and cultures co-operate. A User-Friendly Score using text and graphic elements to suggest sounds, also using imitations of nature, non-linguistic sounds, and onomatopoeia, allowing for complex results from simple means. The vocal crowd in REKA is a gigantic anti-choir: hundreds of local citizens to the performances (Warsaw in 2014, Reggio Emilia in 2016) comprise a massive organism of sound. No prior musical experience is needed to participate.

This is the summary of the role of the percussions crowd within REKA V2. Three couples of words which should be better explained:
UNITY AND DIVERSITY: Each element of the percussions part regards ALL percussions players and in a short time of rehearsals one of the most challenging tasks will be to create a united sound. By this it’s meant a collective interpretation which is a result of the different percussions, the different percussionists and their background, but also the challenge of listening and feeling the others in order to express each one’s diversity, but also to strive for unity at the same time.
SOUND AND BEAT: They are probably the most fundamental functions of the percussions. With a given beat you will be asked to form percussive patterns (or grooves, or rhythms), starting with just holding the beat till frenetic playing of precise parts that will be taught during rehearsals. But many parts will be based on sound, unmeasured sections or tremolo sections in which the key will be to create a sonic background(=REKA in Hebrew) for others and as an artistic element by itself.
ACTION AND REACTION: Each element represents an action which should bring the richest, most unexpected and beautiful result. However, there are few reactions that will be asked during the score, especially reactions to the two percussions soloists on the stage: throughout your part you will find elements such as “echo percussions soloists”, “reflect percussions soloists” during which you are asked to listen and react musically at the same time.
VOICE AND INSTRUMENT: You will perform most of the score with your instrument/s. However, in some parts, you will be asked to perform with your voice – especially rhythmic elements (a bit like tabla language or some Indonesian rituals).

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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.