About the creation

ENIGMA – five pieces for woodwind quintet, percussion and piano – composed in 1962, is a work in which Avidom comes closer to the 12 tone technique than ever before, while not wholly surrendering to it. For example, he does not abandon harmony: parts of his row often appear as a "vertical" component and the last movement in particular has strong romantic survivals. The fast second and fourth movement, are the reversed versions of their respective slow precursors – hence the title "ENIGMA"; the fifth piece forms the coda. Important is the special use of the piano which is treated as a percussion instrument and combines with the vibraphone and xylophone to create interesting sound effects.