Aprés Rebonds by Luis Rivera © 2024 Tapspace Publications, LLC (ASCAP). All rights reserved.
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TSPCE24-021
Après Rebonds is inspired by Greek composer Iannis Xenakis and his solo percussion work, Rebonds. At first, my idea was to create a chamber arrangement of the work; however, that quickly evolved into using the form, style, and textures of Rebonds as the basis for a completely new chamber piece—a “modern repurposing” of this highly artistic and influential percussive work. In my initial sketches of the transcription from the solo version to re-orchestrating for multiple players, I observed that there were numerous rhythmic motives and processes occurring that I never noticed while listening to, performing, or even coaching this work. I believe the reason for this is simply that the choreography required to perform Rebonds as a soloist is daunting enough, let alone being able to illustrate all these motives as unique melodies above such a thick texture of percussive sounds. There are even certain figures in the original work that cannot be physically executed according to what Xenakis wrote on the page!
In the end, I created something original and new while trying to encapsulate the energy and essence of Rebonds expanded into a chamber work for percussion quintet. You
will immediately recognize the familiar bongo drone that Xenakis used in several of his percussion works (just one of many “homage-paying” moments). Most of the other melodies and grooves you hear are fragments of ideas I found throughout Rebonds but developed in a new way— through orchestration, the use of various implements, metric modulations, new rhythms, changes in textures, etc.
Aprés Rebonds was commissioned in 2023 by Dr. John Parks and the Florida State University percussion ensemble for their International Percussion Ensemble Competition showcase concert at PASIC in Indianapolis, Indiana. When he approached me about this project, he said, “I want something that shows what Rebonds could have been, something that grooves so hard it melts people’s faces off!”
I am forever grateful to Dr. Parks and his mentorship while I was his student, and I continue to appreciate all of the work and excellence that is achieved in the FSU Percussion Studio, as well as every single alum that leaves that studio! GO NOLES!
—Luis Rivera
Aprés Rebonds requires 5 players with the following instrumentation:
Players 1–3:
• bongos
• conga
• 2 woodblocks or wood slats
• wood crasher (opt.)
• 2 resonant metals (high/low)
• non-resonant metal
Players 4–5:
• kick drum (mounted)
• medium/large tom
• 2 woodblocks or wood slats
• wood crasher (opt.)
• 2 resonant metals (high/low)
• non-resonant metal
Wood crashers — These can be easily constructed by putting together any type of solid wood slats of various sizes with screws on each end, creating a sort of wooden ribbon crasher. It should include a hole on the underside of the largest slat that is big enough to mount on a suspended cymbal stand. Unbreakable by Andy Harnsberger uses these instruments, and you may check out a video of that piece for a visual frame of reference. If you can’t construct or find these, bongo shells and bass drum rims will suffice.
Drums — The bongos/conga among players 1-3 and the drums between players 4-5 do not need to be the same pitch, nor do they need to be graduated in pitch in any sequential pattern.
Woodblocks/wood slats — Any type of wood idiophone will work (woodblock, Chinese block, 2x4, etc.), as long as they are graduated in pitch starting with player 1 (highest pair) down to player 5 (lowest pair).
Metals — Any metallophone of any size or timbre is acceptable (i.e., cymbals, opera gongs, pipes, bowls, sheets, brake drums, plates). One can even use the same instrument as non-resonant and resonant if muffling can alter the duration between both noticeably enough. The difference between “high” and “low” in each player’s setup should be obvious, but no graduation in pitch among the players is required.
Multiple setups of the ensemble will work, whether in a straight line (players 1-5, left to right), a slight arc, or something more compact that brings the performers closer together to aid in communication, like a star pattern. The individual setups for each player are up to the discretion of each person, but the music was composed with the lowest drum to each player’s left side in mind. The wood and metal instruments can be placed around the drum setups as efficiently as possible to accommodate the music and sizes of the final instrumentation choices. Mallet trays can be placed anywhere in the setups that allow for easiest implement transitions.
Level: Advanced Approx. playing time: 6'10"
