Ofer Ben-Amots - Avis Urbanus for Amplified Flute

This contemporary piece for amplified flute won First Prize in the second Kobe International Competition for Flute Composition, sponsored by the Japanese flute manufacturer Muramatsu. Muramats upublished the piece in 1992, but their edition has been hard to find outside Japan.Avis Urbanus is a highly unusual work for Ben-Amots, featuring not only live electronics, but also elements of performance art. He writes of it: "The Latin title of the piece, which means 'City Bird' in its literal translation, is a play on words with several meanings
Avis: 1) bird 2) singing 3) a bird of omen or an omen in general. The flautist enters and leaves the stage like the brief visit of a bird. The duality in musical atmosphere throughout the piece is created by juxtaposing two contrasting singing gestures:on the one hand, short rapid figures played in the upper registers, reminiscent of a bird's song; on the other hand, a combination of humming and playing techniques mostly in the lowest register.

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