It’s interesting to see how one word can have such different meanings depending on the context. In the world of music, giga (in Italian, “jiga”) conjures up images of lively dance tunes, while in the realm of technology, it represents a unit of digital storage, commonly used as an abbreviation of gigabyte (mathematicians say 10⁹). Despite these disparate meanings, both interpretations of the word share a sense of energy and movement, whether in the form of a musical performance or the transfer of data.

In my Giga for large orchestra, the primary musical significance of the word is intentionally downplayed, as different movements, figures, and ideas are elaborated and layered on top of it, gradually overshadowing the original underlying concept. A loud and exuberant fanfare, a melodious bass trumpet melody that is both soothing and slightly menacing, sharp and thunderous accents, sinister melodic twists of low-pitched instruments, rapid spirals of notes, and instances of complete stillness all work together to make a progression that is full of interrelationships, resemblances, and correspondences. It is like old parchment (is it better to say a hard disk?) that has been repeatedly written on and erased.

Giga, for orchestra, was dedicated to Hans Werner Henze, with great affection, for his eightieth birthday.