Rebonds

Rebonds was written for percussionist Sylvio Gualda [fr], for whom Xenakis had also dedicated other chamber compositions, such as Komboï.^[1] It was later published by Éditions Salabert, in an edition revised by Patrick Butin.^[2]

Many different elements of this piece, such as the ideas of indeterminacy, and the fact that the piece sounds as if more than one person is playing, creates a new sound for solo percussionists.

The composition is in two autonomous movements, named A and B. The first movement uses only skins, with two bongos, three tom-toms, and two bass drums. The second movement, however, uses two bongos, one tumba, one tom-tom, one bass drum, 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.^[1]

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".^[3]

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