Yudhisthira and the Yaksha

Programme note

The percussion trio Yudhishthira and the Yaksha is associated with Indonesian gamelan and more specifically with the accompanying music of Balinese dance theatre and puppet theatre; the piece contains numerous references to this tradition, both in its use of metal percussion instruments and in its pitch structure. Balinese puppet theatre often brings scenes from Hindu epics to life, which is why I, too, chose the lakeside scene from the Mahabharata as the starting point for my piece. The work’s handling of time is no less ‘Eastern’ in character: it lacks dramatic intensification or development; in terms of form, I have retained the dialogue/responsory structure from the original text.