TAKETINA SYMPHONIC

1 Awakening

starts with the still surface of the ocean, represented by one tone, sung a capella by the whole choir. From this stillpoint on, movement gradually starts to unfold in every growing wave and leads into a polyrhythmic matrix of seven and nine beat cycles.

2 Timelessness

begins as a journey through clusters and multiple meters. As they appear and dissolve again, it increasingly becomes apparent that they are connected through a hidden yet clearly tangible basic pulse.

3 Longing

is the beginning of „Waves upon Waves“ changing from transpersonal experience into tangible human emotion: the image of someone looking at the ocean, contemplating the separation of a beloved person on the other side of the waves, sets the mood for this movement.

4 Elysium

The scene changes into the image of an indigenous person sitting with a shamans drum on the shore. This person also looks out at the ocean, but is completely empty of thoughts and emotions and taken away by the rhythm of his drum – which in this case is played by the orchestra. As it gradually gains momentum it gets multi-layered and finally accumulates in a rhythm of unbelievable intensity: Indonesian Anklungs merge with the full orchestra, percussion and choir – everything is vibrating at its peak level while at the same time a deep space opens up for the listener – a space some call „the Zone“, others „Elysium“.

5 Power of Rhythm

is the virtuosic drum part in every Waves Production. Here, the big „Taiko“ Drum played by Reinhard Flatischler takes center stage. Flatischler’s drum style connects Korean Buk drumming with various Japanese Taiko styles. It is accompanied by the dynamic sound of a Balinese Cheng Cheng that gives the syncopating drum a solid background.

6 Matrix

the last movement featuring the polyrhythm of three and four, represented by the rhythm syllables „TaKeTiNa“ and „GaMaLa“, escalates into a grand interplay that involves every section of the orchestra, choir and percussion. In this grand finale the polyrhythm creates a joyfully confusing, yet musically coherent intensity merging into the final beat with an intricate break.

1 Prologue

Musically the prologue intends to create the atmosphere that something important is to be revealed. It gradually builds a rhythmic backdrop to present the first statement. “Ubi nihil, Ibi omnia” is recited first, for everyone to clearly understand the message: „where there is nothing there is everything“. This statement correlates with the ancient „heart sutra“, which starts like this: …“Form does not differ from emptiness; emptiness does not differ from form. Form itself is emptiness; emptiness itself is form.“ It also points to the finding of modern science. The prologue directly leads to the second movement.

2 Ubi Nihil

To access the deeper meaning of this condensed information, the second movement leads the audience through a polytonal „birthing process“ with a massive intensity of sound and rhythm input, that is intended to crack open the mind for venturing out to new horizons.

3 Revolving Galaxies

The Big Bang sends out its different movements through the musical universe. Inner galaxies, rhythmic galaxies and sound galaxies – all blend together at this point. Various polyrhythmic layers and complex cycles interact sometimes in a very dynamic manner, sometimes in contrast withdrawing into a more static mood. „Revolving galaxies“ ends in a culmination that calls the drums to take centerstage.

4 Power of Rhythm

Every composition of the „Space Project“ has movements in which the art of playing drums in a virtuosic manner is integrated into the composition. Here, Tupac Mantilla und Reinhard Flatischler are interacting with the whole orchestra that turns now into a mighty rhythm generator as well.

5 Beyond Space

Everything so far was a preparation to dive into the actual meditation of this mysterious phenomenon space. It starts with a portal in which quite unusual sounds call the listener into a direct participation of contemplating space. Beyond space consists of a metamorphosis of three rhythms: starting with a twelve beat cycle, the rhythms evolve into an eleven beat cycle, recited by the choir in multiple voice layers and ending up in a mysterious layering of a seven and a six beat cycle. When their elements are „singled out“ – which is a composition technique of the Waves Project – the audience feels a coherence but cannot grasp how everything is interconnected. An atmosphere of wondering, awe and introspection opens up.

6 Spatium Omnia Tu

Never before has there been a coherent polyrhythmic choir in the history of classical and avant-garde music. The polyrhythm of three and four create an unstoppable drive, which is different from groove, just based on one pulsation alone. This movement conveys the following messages, sung by the choir:

„Spatium, omnia tu, Omnia nosti, Omnia saecula!
Spatium, omnia tu, Omnia iungis, Omnia omnibus!
Tu narra de terra, Narra de nobis Narra caelestibus!“

„Tu es via clara, Tu es noster angelus,
Testare hanc vitam, Narra mundo nostram musicam!
Tu es via clara nostra, Tu es noster vere unus angelus!
Testare hanc vitam, Nostram musicam!“

translates into:

„Space, you know everything, really everything, all ages
Space, you connect everything, everything with everything
You, tell us about the earth, tell us about us, tell us about the heavenly beings.“

„You are the shining path, you are our messenger
bear witness to this life on earth, recount our music to the universe
you are our shining path, you are our one true messenger indeed
bear witness to this life and to our music.“

7 Contemplation

The title already suggests that this is a moment of contemplation and resting point before the final movement. Completely new sound combinations of ancient temple bells with low frequency and high frequency clusters played by the orchestra provoke deep listening and introspection before finally returning to the initial statement: „Ubi Nihil – Ibi Omnia“

8 Ubi Nihil Return

It is impossible to escape space and therefore it is a consequent move that „Space beyond Space“ returns to Ubi Nihil in the end. However, no one ever returns to the same place or situation in such a journey. This times all the elements from the beginning have changed into a hymn of uplifting joy, vigor and courage. The last words sung by the choir in a very still a capella mode remind that even in the most dramatic situation there is always emptiness and space.