Upaapitsi, for flute and electronics, 8′

Electronics: Vinicius Giusti

Pre-recorded bass flute: Cassia Carrascoza

Upaapitsi means soul in the language of Wauja, an Indigenous people inhabitant of the upper Xingu, central Brazil. Literally, the word means “another self”, referring to a part of the self during his life. “Soul” in the sense of afterlife is another concept, it is designated by another word. Upaapitsi designates the soul of the living self. In this piece, the C flute represents the living self, while in the fixed electronic part a bass flute represents the Other, Upaapitsi. This pre-recorded flute uses the same materials as the C flute, only it is played in a slower tempo and undergoes timbral transformations. At certain moments, both flutes are in sync. The C flute part has 5 parts, interspersed by electronic sections.

Commissioned by Via Nova Ensemble, Germany. Premiered by Marianna Schürmann in 02.10.2022 (Herbstfrequenzen Sondershausen)

watch the premiere