The Great Appetite of Garuda

Inspired by the Hindu story of Garuda, a deity who swallowed a tortoise and an elephant to gain strength, The Great Appetite of Garuda portrays great weight and power. A four-note motif enters clumsily tripping over itself. It gradually gains momentum as it is passed between different groups of instruments. A softer, muted section follows, slowly introducing a new theme that is marked by a rising fourth then falls a minor sixth. This rising figure and the four-note motif from the beginning of the work continue locked-in-combat to the end of this aggressive work.