Project offers chance to be a part of orchestra, play with it

İZMİR - Anatolia News Agency

Visitors of the ‘Re-Rite’ project listen to Igor Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’ in different sections of the orchestra and also play with it. AA photos

The 26th International İzmir Festival will host a special and innovative event, organized only three times before in the world. The “Re-Rite Sound and Video Installation,” created using all opportunities of technology, brings the 101 person Philharmonia Orchestra, under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen, to an audience in a rather unusual venue for classical music: an abandoned building. Audience members will be given the chance to see different parts of the orchestra, conduct it and even play with the orchestra.

The Re-Rite project, which will be open at the İzmir Cigarette Plant until June 24, not only invites professionals and art lovers to participate but also those unfamiliar with classical music. Before appearing as part of the İzmir Festival the Re-Rite project was organized in Britain, Germany and China. In each of its performances the project was highly appreciated and drew major interest, particularly from young people thanks to its use of technology.

Project visitors listen to Igor Stravinsky’s 33-minute “Rite of Spring” in different sections of the orchestra, such as among the string or wind instruments. Visitors can also obtain information about the work from Salonen. The famous conductor is able to turn notes into words and tells visitors the features of the composition on a huge screen.

The technology used in the project enables people to be able to listen to the music in every part of the abandoned building so they can choose to sit next to the musicians, view their performance from another room or listen to talks between these musicians while they play the work.

In the “Control Room” section, visitors come to stand next to Salonen, the conductor, who was selected as the “musician of the year” in 2011. Here they try to conduct the orchestra by viewing and mimicking his movements. They also have the chance to accelerate or slow down the music or highlight an instrument in the orchestra.

The most attractive part of the project for visitors is in the percussion section of the orchestra. In this section, a visitor, who takes the helm of a cymbal, drum or gong can apply the directives given on the screen and become a part of the orchestra by playing one of these instruments.

Taking classical music out of concert halls

The İzmir Foundation for Culture Arts (İKSEV) Executive Board Chairman Filiz Eczacıbaşı Sarper said that the project was defined as a “fantastic travel to the heart of the orchestra” by music authorities.
She said that the İzmir Festival aimed at bringing together art lovers with new venues and new projects, and the Re-Rite project was very suitable for their purpose, adding that Salonen, who was the guest of the 25th festival last year with his orchestra, presented the project to them.

“It is a very significant project that Stravinsky’s renowned work “Rite of Spring” embraces people on big digital screens and in an abandoned venue. People become whole with music. This project is a very special project

since we want to embrace audiences. This is why we presented it as the opening event of the festival. The goal of the project is to draw the attention of people who have no relationship with music. Even though everyone is not familiar with classical music today, they are involved with technology. A virtual environment is created here where people can feel like a musician. They can enter into a different section of the orchestra in every part of the project. Although the event spreads into a very wide area, people continue listening to music when visitors pass from one room to another. It is a very nice experience. You feel closer to the music because you not only listen to it, but become a part of it,” Sarper said.

Sarper said that the project had come together with people in abandoned buildings in three cities before İzmir. “The building goes very well with the soul of this work. Also, the purpose of this project is to take classical music outside of certain halls and integrate this type of music with ordinary people.”
Sarper also said that they wanted to restore the cigarette building in İzmir and had organized the project in that building in order to draw attention to it.