György Ligeti (1923-2006)

[Mandryka]

Up to yesterday I had not heard a note of Ligeti.

 

Far from my usual fare but didn't run from the room covering my ears. Insulting to a composer to comment on such complex music after a single listen, but I will anyway. Although without traditional musical signposts unable to comprehend what's going on, I found the piece undeniably dramatic and colourful.

Is Ligeti's Cello Concerto typical of him?

Just a matter of taste possibly, but this is my favourite Ligeti concerto. When I was starting to explore his music more seriously about three years ago this piece caught my intention when I discovered the first performance with Siegfried Palm and Henryk Czys. (Not to be confused with Palm's later recording with Leeuw. I'm not sure which one you have there, here's the one which impressed me.

I would be wary of saying it's typical of Ligeti by the way, because he is a chameleon composer, with multiple styles.

[Irons]

Just a matter of taste possibly, but this is my favourite Ligeti concerto. When I was starting to explore his music more seriously about three years ago this piece caught my intention when I discovered the first performance with Siegfried Palm and Henryk Czys. (Not to be confused with Palm's later recording with Leeuw. I'm not sure which one you have there, here's the one which impressed me.

I would be wary of saying it's typical of Ligeti by the way, because he is a chameleon composer, with multiple styles.

Interesting, thanks. My recording with Hessischen Rundfunks, Frankfurt conducted by Michael Gielen.

[CRCulver]

I like the Cello Concerto, but even living out in the remote countryside, it can be hard to find a listening environment quiet enough to hear the first couple of minutes of the work. The opening dynamic is infamously specified as "pppppppp".

[AnotherSpin]

I like the Cello Concerto, but even living out in the remote countryside, it can be hard to find a listening environment quiet enough to hear the first couple of minutes of the work. The opening dynamic is infamously specified as "pppppppp".

Did you try headphones?

[CRCulver]

Did you try headphones?

That's not a solution. Headphone listening would interfere with the dynamic range of the piece, always an important part of classical music and taken to a whole new level in twentieth-century modernism (e.g. late Nono). One would have to turn the volume up to hear the beginning, then be forced to turn the volume down again at some point later in the piece when things get much louder. To appreciate the dynamic range as it is, it is the listening environment that has to be made totally silent, and isolated from neighbors so the fortissimo passages don't bother anyone.

[Mandryka]

Interesting, thanks. My recording with Hessischen Rundfunks, Frankfurt conducted by Michael Gielen.

I just had an intuition. I think you should try Scelsi. Ohoi and Pfhat.

[Uhor]

Sorry to be persistent with these mashups but I think there's real labour and value behind them.

I personally requested my friend to try do this. I think it works well. It combines a cluster middle period chamber orchestra work with a very late period one. The Hamburg concerto sort of gives "a melody" to the otherwise mostly seamless Chamber concerto.

[Symphonic Addict]

It's been quite a while since my last listening to his string quartets. This is one of the advantages of not burning out a piece: you can listen to it with fresh ears and get as fascinated as the first time. Simply extraordinary, captivating, inventive and unique music! Even though the first quartet is heavily influenced by Bartók, it is a masterpiece in its own terms. With each successive section it seems like it is reinventing itself. Just jaw-dropping. If that quartet is impressive, the 2nd one leaves no doubts it is the work of a genius. This is pure Ligeti, more unpredictable, otherwordly, absorbing. Each movement contains such a wealth of ideas that it's impossible not to be amazed, much more when this music is interpreted with such commitment and precision as played by the Arditti SQ.

[Mandryka]

I have just discovered the fabulous Drei Phantasien nach Friedrich Hölderlin

[brewski]

It's been quite a while since my last listening to his string quartets. This is one of the advantages of not burning out a piece: you can listen to it with fresh ears and get as fascinated as the first time. Simply extraordinary, captivating, inventive and unique music! Even though the first quartet is heavily influenced by Bartók, it is a masterpiece in its own terms. With each successive section it seems like it is reinventing itself. Just jaw-dropping. If that quartet is impressive, the 2nd one leaves no doubts it is the work of a genius. This is pure Ligeti, more unpredictable, otherwordly, absorbing. Each movement contains such a wealth of ideas that it's impossible not to be amazed, much more when this music is interpreted with such commitment and precision as played by the Arditti SQ.

Apparently I was distracted a year ago or I would have chimed in to say, "Yes, YES." And also "yes" to listening to pieces anew. A few years ago it seemed like many groups were playing the Debussy quartet (which is great), but after awhile, you longed for something else...like Ligeti.

I have just discovered the fabulous Drei Phantasien nach Friedrich Hölderlin

I'm not sure that I've heard those!

[Mandryka]

I'm not sure that I've heard those!

You've missed something special - more austere than Lux Aeterna - I think I may prefer it in fact. The only recording I can find is with Daniel Reuss.

[brewski]

You've missed something special - more austere than Lux Aeterna - I think I may prefer it in fact. The only recording I can find is with Daniel Reuss.

There are a few on YouTube that look good, including this one:

I'm totally immersed in string quartets at the moment, but this might be the perfect palate cleanser.

[steve ridgway]

I have just discovered the fabulous Drei Phantasien nach Friedrich Hölderlin

Very nice, I have the recording in the Ligeti Edition.