This is a video recording of David Wechsler’s Variations On A Neanderthal Theme from The OMNI Ensemble’s recent concert appearance at the Shelter Island Friends of Music, February 16, 2014

The piece is a set of variations based upon what the composer speculates a theme could be, first sung by a clan of Neanderthals that have had a good hunt, found a good patch of berries, and are now feasting and enjoying the joys of fermented grape juice. The theme then goes on to be played on a bamboo flute, evocative of some Neanderthal era hollow wing-bone flutes of large birds, found in caves in Germany, dating to about 40,000 years ago. The variations then begin for the instrumentalists.

videography by Maya Wechsler

Variations On A Neanderthal Theme

for flutes, cello and piano

by David Wechsler

David Wechsler, flutes

Brian Snow, cello

John Cheek, piano