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György Ligeti
Born: May 28, 1923; Discöszentmáton, Transylvania
Died: June 12, 2006; Vienna, Austria
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György Ligeti was one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century. He stood with Boulez, Berio, Stockhausen, and Cage as one of the most innovative and influential among progressive figures of his time. His early works show the influence of Bartók and Kodály, and like them, he studied folk music and made transcriptions from folk material. In Apparitions (1958-1959) and Atmosphčres (1961), he developed a
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Works
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Allegro for Piano 4 hands (3)
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Andante and Allegretto (1)
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Apparitions (1)
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Apparitions: no 1, Lento (1)
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Apparitions: no 2, Agitato (1)
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Arany Songs (5): no 1, Calfa sugár (1)
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Arany Songs (5): no 2, A legszebb virág (1)
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Arany Songs (5): no 3, A csendes dalokhól (1)
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Arany Songs (5): no 4, A bujdosó (1)
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Arany Songs (5): no 5, Az ördög elvitte a fináncot (1)
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Artikulation (3)
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Atmospheres (9)
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Aventures (7)
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Bagatelles (3) for Piano (2)
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Bagatelles (6) for Wind Quintet (13)
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Bagatelles (6) for Wind Quintet: no 3, Allegro grazioso (3)
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Ballade and Dance on Romanian Folksongs: Ballade (4)
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Ballade and Dance on Romanian Folksongs: Dance (4)
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Canons (2): no 1, If I were flowing water (1)
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Canons (2): no 2, Gossipy women (1)
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Capriccio for Piano no 1 (8)
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Capriccio for Piano no 2 (8)
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Chamber Concerto for 13 Instruments (11)
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Chamber Concerto: Movimento preciso e meccanico (1)
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Chromatische Phantasie (2)
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Clocks and Clouds (2)
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Concert Românesc (3)
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Concert Românesc: Dance no 2 (1)
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Concert Românesc: Dance no 4 (1)
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Concerto for Cello (4)
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Concerto for Horn "Hamburg" (2)
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Concerto for Piano (4)
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Concerto for Violin (3)
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Continuum (8)
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Der Sommer (2)
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Die grosse Schildkröten-Fanfare vom Südchinesischen Meer (2)
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Double Concerto for Flute and Oboe (3)
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Double Concerto for Flute and Oboe: 1st movement, Calmo, con tenerezza (1)
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Double Concerto for Flute and Oboe: 2nd movement, Allegro corrente (1)
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Duo for Violin and Piano (1)
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Early Pieces (4) for Piano "Basso ostinato" (1)
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Easter (1)
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Erring (1)
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Etudes (4) for Piano, Book 3: no 15, White on white (7)
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Etudes (4) for Piano, Book 3: no 16, Pour Irina (5)
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Etudes (4) for Piano, Book 3: no 17, A bout de souffle (4)
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Etudes (4) for Piano, Book 3: no 18, Canon (5)
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Etudes (6) for Piano, Book 1 (9)
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Etudes (6) for Piano, Book 1: no 1, Désordre (2)
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Etudes (6) for Piano, Book 1: no 2, Cordes ŕ vide (4)
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Etudes (6) for Piano, Book 1: no 3, Touches bloquées (2)
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Etudes (6) for Piano, Book 1: no 4, Fanfares (6)
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Etudes (6) for Piano, Book 1: no 5, Arc-en-ciel (5)
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Etudes (6) for Piano, Book 1: no 6, Automne ŕ Varsovie (2)
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Etudes (8) for Piano, Book 2 (6)
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Etudes (8) for Piano, Book 2: no 10, Dar Zauberlehrling (7)
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Etudes (8) for Piano, Book 2: no 11, En suspens (4)
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Etudes (8) for Piano, Book 2: no 12, Entrelacs (3)
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Etudes (8) for Piano, Book 2: no 13, L'escalier du diable (7)
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Etudes (8) for Piano, Book 2: no 14, Coloana infinita (4)
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Etudes (8) for Piano, Book 2: no 7, Galamb borong (3)
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Etudes (8) for Piano, Book 2: no 8, Fém (4)
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Etudes (8) for Piano, Book 2: no 9, Vertige (3)
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Glissandi (1)
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Hommage ŕ Hilding Rosenberg (1)
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Hortobágy: Allegro giusto (1)
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Hortobágy: Parlando, rubato (1)
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Hortobágy: Piu mosso (1)
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Hungarian Etudes (3) for Chorus (1)
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Hungarian Etudes (3) for Chorus: no 1, Spiegelkanon (1)
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Hungarian Etudes (3) for Chorus: no 2 (1)
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Hungarian Etudes (3) for Chorus: no 3, Vásár (1)
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Hungarian Folk Song(s) (1)
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Hungarian rock (7)
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In Foreign Land: A dark raven (1)
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In Foreign Land: Lament (1)
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In Foreign Land: Once the forest (1)
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In Foreign Land: Summer sends a gentle breeze (1)
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Inaktelke Songs (4): no 1, Moderato (1)
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Inaktelke Songs (4): no 2, Allegro (1)
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Inaktelke Songs (4): no 3, Parlando (1)
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Inaktelke Songs (4): no 4, Allegro (1)
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Invention for Piano (8)
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Kálló Double Dance: Allegro molto (1)
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Kálló Double Dance: Andante (1)
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Kineret (1)
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L'arrache-coeur (1)
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Le grand macabre (2)
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Loneliness (1)
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Lontano (5)
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Lux aeterna (9)
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March for Piano 4 hands (3)
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Mátraszentimre Songs: no 1, Three barrels (2)
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Mátraszentimre Songs: no 2, True love (2)
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Mátraszentimre Songs: no 3, Pom-pom (2)
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Mátraszentimre Songs: no 4, Out in the woods (2)
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Melodien (3)
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Morning (3)
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Musica ricercata (11) for Piano (8)
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Musica ricercata (11) for Piano: no 1, Sostenuto/Misurato, stringendo poco a poco (5)
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Musica ricercata (11) for Piano: no 10, Vivace. Capriccioso (4)
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Musica ricercata (11) for Piano: no 11, Andante misurato e tranquillo "Omaggio a Frescobaldi" (4)
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Musica ricercata (11) for Piano: no 2, Mesto. Parlando (4)
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Musica ricercata (11) for Piano: no 3, Allegro con spirito (5)
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Musica ricercata (11) for Piano: no 4, Tempo di valse (poco animato) (5)
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Musica ricercata (11) for Piano: no 5, Rubato. Lamentoso (3)
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Musica ricercata (11) for Piano: no 6, Allegro molto capriccioso (4)
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Musica ricercata (11) for Piano: no 7, Con moto giusto (6)
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Musica ricercata (11) for Piano: no 8, Vivace. Energico (5)
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Musica ricercata (11) for Piano: no 9, Adagio. Mesto "Béla Bartók in memoriam" (4)
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Mysteries of the Macabre (5)
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Mysteries of the Macabre, for soprano & ensemble, or trumpet & piano/ensemble (arr. from "Le Grand M (1)
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Night (2)
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Nonsense Madrigals: Flying Robert (2)
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Nonsense Madrigals: no 1, Two dreams and Little bat (1)
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Nonsense Madrigals: no 2, Cuckoo in the pear-tree (1)
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Nonsense Madrigals: no 3, The alphabet (1)
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Nonsense Madrigals: no 4, Flying Robert (1)
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Nonsense Madrigals: no 5, The Lobster quadrille (1)
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Nonsense Madrigals: no 6, A long, sad tale (1)
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Nouvelles aventures (5)
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Nouvelles Aventures (2): no 1 (1)
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Nouvelles Aventures (2): no 2 (1)
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Pápainé (1)
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Passacaglia ungherese (4)
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Phantasien (3) (2)
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Phantasien (3): no 1, Halfte des Lebens (2)
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Phantasien (3): no 2, Wenn aus der Ferne (1)
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Phantasien (3): no 3, Abenphantasie (1)
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Pieces (10) for Wind Quintet (5)
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Pieces (2) for String Quartet: Allegretto poco capriccioso (1)
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Pieces (2) for String Quartet: Andante cantabile (1)
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Pieces (3) for 2 Pianos (4)
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Pieces (3) for 2 Pianos: no 1, Monument (6)
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Pieces (3) for 2 Pianos: no 2, Selbstporträt mit Reich und Riley (und Chopin ist auch dabei) (6)
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Pieces (3) for 2 Pianos: no 3, In zart fliessender Bewegung (6)
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Poeme Symphonique (1)
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Polyphonic étude for Piano 4 hands (3)
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Quartet for Strings no 1 "Métamorphoses nocturnes" (11)
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Quartet for Strings no 1 "Métamorphoses nocturnes": 1st movement, Allegro grazioso (1)
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Quartet for Strings no 2 (8)
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Ramifications for 12 Strings (6)
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Régi magyar társas táncok (2)
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Requiem (2)
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Requiem: no 1, Inroitus "Sostenuto" (1)
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Requiem: no 2, Kyrie "Molto espressivo" (1)
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Requiem: no 3, De die judicci sequentia-Subito "Agitato molto" (1)
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Requiem: no 4, Lacrimosa "Molto lento" (1)
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Ricercare for Organ (2)
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San Francisco Polyphony (4)
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Sonata for Cello solo (15)
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Sonata for Cello solo: no 1, Dialogo "Adagio, rubato, cantabile" (1)
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Sonata for Cello solo: no 2, Capriccio "Presto con slancio" (1)
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Sonata for Viola solo (5)
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Sonata for Viola solo: 6th movement, Chaconne chromatique (1)
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Sonatina for Piano 4 hands (3)
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Study for Organ no 1 "Harmonies" (6)
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Study for Organ no 2 "Couleé" (5)
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The Big Turtle (2)
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The Mighty Rock (1)
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The Three Wise Men (1)
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Tréfás induló (1)
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Trio for Horn, Violin and Piano "Hommage ŕ Brahms" (5)
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Trio for Horn, Violin and Piano "Hommage ŕ Brahms": 4th movement, Adagio "Lamento" (1)
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Volumina (5)
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Wedding Dance for Chorus (1)
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Wedding Dances (3) for Piano 4 hands (3)
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Wedding Dances (4): no 1, A menyaszony szép virág (1)
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Wedding Dances (4): no 2, A kapuban a szekér (1)
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Wedding Dances (4): no 3, Hopp ide tisztán (1)
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Wedding Dances (4): no 4, Mikor kedves laci bátyám (1)
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Weöres Songs (3): no 1, Táncol a hold (1)
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Weöres Songs (3): no 2, Gyümölcafürt (1)
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Weöres Songs (3): no 3, Kalmár jött nagy madarakkal (1)
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With Pipes, Drums and Fiddles (1)
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Work(s) (2)
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Youth: Allegro (1)
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Youth: Parlando (1)
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Biography |
by Robert Cummings
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György Ligeti was one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century. He stood with Boulez, Berio, Stockhausen, and Cage as one of the most innovative and influential among progressive figures of his time. His early works show the influence of Bartók and Kodály, and like them, he studied folk music and made transcriptions from folk material. In Apparitions (1958-1959) and Atmosphčres (1961), he developed a style forged from chromatic cluster chords that are devoid of conventional melody, pitch and rhythm, but instead grow into timbres and textures that yield new sonic possibilities. The composer referred to this method as "micropolyphony." In Aventures (1962), Ligeti devised a vocal technique in which the singers are required to make a full range of vocalizations, cries and nonsense noises to fashion a kind of imaginary, non-specific drama, but with rather specifically expressed emotions. Ligeti was almost alone among progressive composers from the latter twentieth century who have written popular and widely performed music.
Ligeti was born on May 28, 1923, in the Transylvanian town of Dicsöszentmárton, Romania and grew up in Kolozsvar, Klausenburg. At the age of 14, he began taking piano lessons and soon wrote his first composition, a waltz.
Because he was a Jew living under the Nazi-puppet regime in Hungary, Ligeti was forbidden university study and thus enrolled in the Kolozsvar Conservatory in 1941, and began studies with Ferenc Farkas, a Respighi pupil. Later, in Budapest, he also studied with pianist-composer Pál Kadosa.
In January 1944, Ligeti was arrested and sent to a labor camp where he remained imprisoned until 1945. Other family members were sent to Auschwitz, where only his mother survived. Ligeti graduated from the Budapest Academy of Music in 1949 and began an extended period of study of folk music.
In the years of 1950-1956, he served as a professor at the Budapest Academy. His music was largely unadventurous during this period, owing to restrictions by the Hungarian Communist regime. Ligeti and his wife fled their homeland during the Revolution in 1956, settling in Vienna. Ligeti began studying and composing at the Cologne-based Electronic Music Studio from 1957 to 1959, producing the influential Artikulation (1958), one of his first electronic works.
Other important progressive works followed, such as the orchestral composition, Apparitions (1958-1959) and Atmosphčres (1961). In 1959, Ligeti began serving as visiting professor at the Academy of Music in Stockholm and also started teaching courses at Darmstadt.
His choral work Requiem (1963-1965) was another success, as were Ramifications (1968-1969), for string orchestra or 12 solo strings, and Clocks and Clouds (1972-1973). In 1972, Ligeti became Composer in Residence at Stanford University and the following year took on a professorship at the Hamburg Academy of Music. Ligeti composed his opera Le Grand Macabre in the period 1975-1977, but revised it in the 1990s, with the final version completed in 1997. It has become one of his most popular large works.
In 1982, the composer's mother died. That same year saw a return of Ligeti's health after a period of five years' sickness. In the 1980s the composer forswore further composition in the realm of electronic music. Ligeti retired from his post as professor of composition at the Hamburg Music Academy in 1989. In the 1990s, he spent much time on the aforementioned second version of Le Grand Macabre.
Ligeti received his share of awards and prizes, including the 1986 Grawemeyer Prize and the 1996 Music Prize of the International Music Council. |
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