Zeitgeist, or “Spirit of the Time,” was composed at the request of the Cerkno Wind Orchestra and our versatile performer Boštjan Gombač, who tirelessly strives to promote and gain recognition for the oldest flute in the world, found at the archaeological site of Divje Babe near Cerkno. Listening to a performance on a replica of this ancient flute, known as the tidldibab, can inspire us even more if we try to imagine what kind of music might have been played on it 60,000 years ago by a Neanderthal who walked this very land, just as we do today.

Creating music on a Paleolithic flute, despite its age, can be seen as very modern, as it offers not only the possibility of performing classical music but also a range of sound effects that imitate voices from nature. I have named the piece Zeitgeist because it can be understood as both archaic and modern, with a sound that transcends time, connecting both the present and the prehistoric past.

The tidldibab flute is acoustically remarkable, with a surprisingly large range and the ability to produce very loud sounds when played accordingly. In this composition, the orchestra does not accompany in the classical sense with harmonies and chords but rather flexibly complements the soloist’s musical ideas with sound effects.