Musica Ricercata Analysis

8/10/2019 Musica Ricercata Analysis

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SOLO PIANO AND PIECESSOLO PIANO AND PIECESSOLO PIANO AND PIECESSOLO PIANO AND PIECESan emulated score study for eleven pianos


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MUSICA RICERCATA (INTERPRETED LITERALLY AS "RESEARCHED MUSIC"OR "SOUGHT MUSIC") IS A MUSICAL PIECE FOR PIANO WRITTEN BYGYRGY LIGETI IN 1953.

FIVE YEAR LATER, IN 1957, THE WORD "EMULATOR" WAS COINED ATIBM, AS AN OPTIONAL FEATURE IN THE IBM 709 TO EXECUTE LEGACY IBM704 PROGRAMS ON THE IBM 709.

THE PITCH STRUCTURE OF MUSICA RICERCATA IS CONFINES TO ONLYCERTAIN PITCH CLASSES IN EACH MOVEMENT, WITH EACH SUBSEQUENTMOVEMENT HAVING EXACTLY ONE MORE PITCH CLASS THAN THE LAST.THE PITCHES FOUND IN EACH MOVEMENT ARE AS FOLLOWS:

MOVEMENT I = A, DMOVEMENT II = E#, F#, GMOVEMENT III = C, E, EB, GMOVEMENT IV = A, BB, F#, G, G#MOVEMENT V = AB, B, C#, D, F, GMOVEMENT VI = A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G

MOVEMENT VII = AB, A, BB, C, D, EB, F, GMOVEMENT VIII = A, B, C, C#, D, E, F, G, G#MOVEMENT IX = A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, F, F#, GMOVEMENT X = A, A#, B, C#, D, D#, E, F, GB, G, G#MOVEMENT XI = A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#

"SOLO PIANO AND PIECES" EMULATES LIGETIS CONCEPT OF PITCHSTRUCTURE TO ELEVEN GRAND PIANO.

THE SHOW FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHY, SKETCHES AND MIXED MEDIA.

"MUSICA RICERCATA", WILL BE INTERPRETED BY CAROLINE DURIS ONFRIDAY NOVEMBER 13TH AT 7.30PM.

TAL HADAD. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13 TH.


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I. SOSTENUTOI. SOSTENUTOI. SOSTENUTOI. SOSTENUTO --

------ MISURATO

MISURATOMISURATOMISURATO --

------ PRESTISSIMO

PRESTISSIMOPRESTISSIMOPRESTISSIMO

THIS MOVEMENT USES THE PITCH CLASS A ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY (D IS INTRODUCEDAS THE FINAL NOTE, THEREBY PROVIDING AN IMPETUS TO THE REST OF THEMOVEMENTS). LIGETI DEVELOPS THIS SINGLE PITCH CLASS BY EXPLOITING THEDIMENSIONS OF RHYTHM AND TIMBRE (AN EXAMPLE OF TIMBRAL COUNTERPOINT). ATHUNDEROUS BEGINNING LEADS INTO A GRADUAL CRESCENDO AND ACCELERANDOCONSISTING OF LAYERED POLYRHYTHMS IN VARIOUS REGISTERS. THE CODA, AMETERED ACCELERANDO, POUNDS OUT SEVERAL MORE OCTAVES OF A BEFORE WEFINALLY HEAR D. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN D AND A IS REINFORCED BY THEHOLDING OF BOTH SUBHARMONICS AND OVERTONES OF D, WHICH CONTAIN A (ARESULT OF THE HARMONIC SERIES).


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II. MESTO, RIGIDO E CERIMONIALEII. MESTO, RIGIDO E CERIMONIALEII. MESTO, RIGIDO E CERIMONIALEII. MESTO, RIGIDO E CERIMONIALE

BOTH THE MATERIAL AND MOOD OF THIS MOVEMENT DIFFER MARKEDLY FROM THEFIRST. THE PRINCIPAL THEME IS A PLAINTIVE ALTERNATION BETWEEN E# AND F#(A MERE SEMI-TONE). THIS THEME IS HEARD BOTH SOLO (I.E., IN A SINGLEOCTAVE), AND IN QUIET (UNA CORDA) OCTAVES ON BOTH ENDS OF THE PIANO. THEENTRANCE OF G NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE PIECE IS PARTICULARLY STARK, BEINGVIGOROUSLY ATTACKED IN AN ACCELERANDO SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE FIRSTMOVEMENT. THE G CONTINUES TO SOUND IN AN UNMETERED TREMOLO AS THE MAINTHEME RETURNS IN A MORE "MENACING" CONTEXT. THE MOVEMENT GRADUALLYPETERS OUT, WITH BOTH THE MAIN THEME AND REPEATED GS FADING INTOSILENCE.

PORTIONS OF THIS MOVEMENT WERE FEATURED ON THE SOUNDTRACK TO STANLEYKUBRICKS EYES WIDE SHUT[6]


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III. ALLEGRO CON SPIRITOIII. ALLEGRO CON SPIRITOIII. ALLEGRO CON SPIRITOIII. ALLEGRO CON SPIRITO

THE JAUNTY, ALMOST BLUESY, QUALITY OF THIS MOVEMENT REPRESENTS YETANOTHER CONTRAST TO WHATS COME BEFORE. THE PLAYFUL JUXTAPOSITION OF AC-MAJOR TONALITY (C-E-G) AND C-MINOR (C-EB-G) FORMS THE BASIS FOR THEDEVELOPMENT OF THE MAIN THEME. THE DYNAMICS AND REGISTER ALSO FREELYAND ABRUPTLY JUMP ABOUT, CONTRIBUTING FURTHER TO THE SKITTISH NATURE OFTHIS MOVEMENT. THE PIECE ENDS ON A LOW C AFTER A NUMBER OFSIMULTANEOUS SOUNDINGS OF E AND EB, THEREBY MAKING THE DICHOTOMY ALLTHE MORE APPARENT WITHOUT ACTUALLY RESOLVING IT.

THIS MOVEMENT IS ACTUALLY A REWORKING OF IDEAS FROM THE FIRST MOVEMENTOF THE COMPOSERS SONATINA FOR PIANO, FOUR HANDS.


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IV. TEMPO DI VALSE (POCO VIVACEIV. TEMPO DI VALSE (POCO VIVACEIV. TEMPO DI VALSE (POCO VIVACEIV. TEMPO DI VALSE (POCO VIVACE ---- A LORA LORA LORA LORGUE DE BARBARIEGUE DE BARBARIEGUE DE BARBARIEGUE DE BARBARIE))))

ANOTHER LIGHT MOVEMENT, THIS TIME SET IN AN OFF-KILTER WALTZ IN WHICHTHE TRIPLE PULSE IS OCCASIONALLY INTERRUPTED BY A MEASURE OF 2/4.FURTHER COMPLICATING MATTERS RHYTHMICALLY IS LIGETIS INDICATION IN THESCORE THAT "THE METRONOME VALUE REFERS TO THE MAXIMUM TEMPO. THEPIECE MAY BE INTERPRETED FREELY--AS WELL AS BEING SLOWER--WITHRUBATI, RITENUTI, ACCELERANDI, JUST AS THE ORGAN GRINDER WOULD PLAY HISBARREL ORGAN ["LORGUE DE BARBARIE"]." IN KEEPING WITH THIS STYLE, THEREARE OCCASIONAL ABRUPT PAUSES OR CHANGES IN DYNAMICS AND INDICATIONSFOR RITARDANDI AND ACCELERANDI.

THE PIECE IS FORMALLY STRUCTURED LIKE A STANDARD WALTZ TUNE, ROUGHLYAKIN TO AABA. THE A THEME CONSISTS OF A RUNNING SCALE WITH A SHORT TURNAT THE END OF THE PHRASE. THE B SECTION IS GENERALLY LOUDER, WITH A

GREATER DYNAMIC AND PITCH RANGE, WITH CHORDS IN THE MELODY (NOT HEARDIN THE A-SECTION). THE TRIPLE-FEEL WALTZ BACKGROUND CONTINUES IN THELEFT HAND ALMOST THROUGHOUT. AS IN PREVIOUS MOVEMENTS, LIGETI CHOOSESTO INTRODUCE A NEW PITCH CLASSG#--NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE PIECE AT AFORTISSIMO IN THREE OCTAVES, BEING ESPECIALLY CONSPICUOUS, THOUGH THEG#/AB DISAPPEARS AFTER ONLY A FEW BARS AS IT BECOMES SUBSUMED BY THEMAIN WALTZ THEME.


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V. RUBATO. LAMENTOSOV. RUBATO. LAMENTOSOV. RUBATO. LAMENTOSOV. RUBATO. LAMENTOSO

TO COMPLEMENT THE PREVIOUS TWO LIGHTER MOVEMENTS, THE FIFTH RETURNS TOTHE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SECOND MOVEMENT. AGAIN, LIKE THE SECONDMOVEMENT, THE MAIN THEME RELIES HEAVILY ON THE SEMI-TONE INTERVAL.HOWEVER, THE ADDITIONAL PITCH RESOURCES OF THIS MOVEMENT PERMIT THECONSTRUCTION OF TWO TRICHORDS RELATED BY A TRITONE. THE TRITONEBECOMES AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT INTERVAL IN THIS MOVEMENT, AS IT ISINTRODUCED AS PART OF THE SECONDARY THEME IN THE LEFT HAND AND FORMSTHE BASIS FOR THE PARALLEL HARMONIES HEARD AS BOTH ACCOMPANIMENT TOTHE SECONDARY THEME AND IN THE RETURN OF THE MAIN THEME AT MM 22.AFTER THIS, LIGETI INTRODUCES A BELL-LIKE TOLLING ON THE PITCHES OF G ANDAB WHICH CONTINUES TO INTERRUPT THE FRAGMENTS OF THE PRIMARY AND

SECONDARY THEMES AS THEY FADE TOWARD THE END OF THE MOVEMENT. THEMOVEMENT CONCLUDES AS THE "BELL" CONTINUES TO TOLL IN LOW OCTAVE GS,GROWING TO A TRIPLE FORTE.


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VI. ALLEGRO MOLTO CAPRICCIOSOVI. ALLEGRO MOLTO CAPRICCIOSOVI. ALLEGRO MOLTO CAPRICCIOSOVI. ALLEGRO MOLTO CAPRICCIOSO

YET ANOTHER ABRUPT CHANGE IN MOOD BRINGS US TO THE SIXTH MOVEMENT,ITSELF CHARACTERIZED BY RAPID AND UNEXPECTED CHANGES OF DYNAMICS,REGISTER, ARTICULATION, AND MUSICAL MATERIAL. A DESCENT FROM E TO A (THUSTENTATIVELY ESTABLISHING AN A-MAJOR TONALITY) DEFINES THE INITIAL MELODICMATERIAL WHILE A SCALEWISE ASCENT FROM A TO E IS HEARD IN THE LEFT HANDACCOMPANIMENT. EVENTUALLY THE UPWARD AND DOWNWARD MOTIVES MIX ANDRECOMBINE, JOSTLED TOGETHER IN A MELODIC TOY-BOX. THE PIECE ENDS ON ANAPPROPRIATELY AWKWARD AND UNEXPECTED E (FROM AN F#-MINOR CHORD),LEAVING THE LISTENER WITH A LACK OF RESOLUTION.


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VII. CANTABILE, MOLTO LEGATOVII. CANTABILE, MOLTO LEGATOVII. CANTABILE, MOLTO LEGATOVII. CANTABILE, MOLTO LEGATO

A MOST INTRIGUING AND UNIQUE MOVEMENT, IT BEGINS WITH A SEVEN-NOTEOSTINATO IN THE LEFT HAND THAT LIGETI INDICATES SHOULD BE RHYTHMICALLYAND DYNAMICALLY INDEPENDENT FROM THE RIGHT HAND. THE RIGHT HANDCARRIES A FOLK-LIKE MELODY THAT IS FIRST HEARD ALONE IN SINGLE NOTESBEFORE IT GETS JUXTAPOSED IN A LOOSE CANON WITH VARIOUS TRANSFORMEDVERSIONS OF ITSELF, PRODUCING A LIVELY COUNTERPOINT WITH RICH HARMONIESAND A SENSE OF RHYTHMIC FREEDOM. EVENTUALLY, BOTH HANDS MOVE UP ANOCTAVE, SIGNIFICANTLY LIGHTENING THE TEXTURE. THE PIECE CONCLUDES WITHTHE RIGHT HAND TAKING OVER THE OSTINATO AT A YET HIGHER OCTAVE; THEOSTINATO PROGRESSIVELY LOSES NOTES UNTIL IT IS ONLY A TRILL ON F AND GWHICH PROCEEDS TO FADE AWAY TO SILENCE.

THIS MOVEMENT IS CLEARLY BASED ON THE SECOND MOVEMENT, "ANDANTE",FROM THE COMPOSERS SONATINA FOR PIANO, FOUR HANDS. IT IS USED AGAIN INTHE SECOND MOVEMENT OF HIS VIOLIN CONCERTO (1992).


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VIII. VIVACE. ENERGICOVIII. VIVACE. ENERGICOVIII. VIVACE. ENERGICOVIII. VIVACE. ENERGICO

THE SILENCE OF THE PREVIOUS MOVEMENT IS BROKEN BY A LOUD DISSONANCE ONOCTAVE DS AND ES. THUS INTRODUCED, THE MAIN THEME IS HEARD IN OCTAVES,A LIVELY AND VIGOROUS DANCE IN 7/8. THIS MAIN THEME IS CHARACTERIZED BYA SCALAR LOWER MELODY IN WHICH EACH NOTE IS ACCOMPANIED BY AN UPPERE. AFTER A NUMBER OF TRANSFORMATIONS OF THIS MELODY IN THE LEFT HAND,THAT HAND PLAYS THE THEME AS AN ACCOMPANIMENT FIGURE WHILE THE RIGHTHAND PLAYS A LIGHT, PLAYFUL, RHYTHMICALLY-MUTATED VERSION OF THE SCALARMELODY FROM THE MAIN THEME. THIS COMPLETE, THE MAIN THEME RETURNS INBOTH HANDS IN ALL ITS GLORY, FADING BRIEFLY TO A RESTATEMENT OF THESECONDARY MELODY IDEA BEFORE THE MAIN THEME DECISIVELY CONCLUDES THEMOVEMENT

ALTHOUGH THE RHYTHMIC ACCENT PATTERN DRIVES THE MOVEMENT, LIGETI

DELETES BEATS FROM CERTAIN MEASURES IN ORDER TO "RESTART" THE PATTERNIN SECTIONS IN WHICH THE LEFT HAND RESTATEMENT OF THE THEME IS OFFSETFROM THE RIGHT. LIGETI FURTHER REINFORCES THE FOLK-DANCE ORIGINS OF THEMOVEMENT BY USING A GREAT DEAL OF OPEN FIFTHS IN THE ACCOMPANIMENTTHAT CORRESPOND TO THE OPEN STRINGS ON A FIDDLE OR CELLO. IN FACT, THEMANY METRIC "SKIPS" AND RHYTHMIC OFFSETS MAY BE REFERRING TO FOLKMUSICIANS WHO ACCIDENTALLY ENTER AT THE WRONG TIMES.


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IX. (IX. (IX. (IX. (BLA BARTK IN MEMORIAMBLA BARTK IN MEMORIAMBLA BARTK IN MEMORIAMBLA BARTK IN MEMORIAM) ADAGIO. MESTO) ADAGIO. MESTO) ADAGIO. MESTO) ADAGIO. MESTO -------- ALLEGROALLEGROALLEGROALLEGROMAESTOSOMAESTOSOMAESTOSOMAESTOSO

ANOTHER "SERIOUS" MOVEMENT, THIS BEGINS WITH LOW OCTAVE C#S, WHICHTHE COMPOSER MARKED AS "LIKE LOW-SOUNDING BELLS". FROM THESE DEPTHSARISES A MELODY CONSISTING OF A SERIES OF MINOR 3RD PAIRS IN ACONSISTENT SIXTEENTH/DOTTED-EIGHTH RHYTHM (BARING SOME SIMILARITY TOTHE "VERBUNKOS" FROM BARTKS DANCE SUITE CONTRASTS). BOTH THESEMELODIC AND RHYTHMIC MOTIVES GET USED THROUGHOUT THE MOVEMENT. AFTERTHE INITIAL, MOURNFUL PRESENTATION OF THE THEME COMES A SUDDENLY LOUDREPETITION OF MINOR 3RDS IN THE RIGHT HAND, ALONG WITH A LEFT HANDRESTATEMENT OF THE MAIN THEME MARKED "AS IF PANICKING". AFTER THESEMORE AGITATED EXPLORATIONS OF THE THEME, A MUCH LIGHTER TEXTUREPREVAILS WITH TREMOLOS ACCOMPANYING ANOTHER MINOR 3RD-CENTRIC MELODY.THE PIECE CONCLUDES AS THE LOW C# "BELLS" CONTINUE THEIR INESCAPABLE

TOLLING.


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X. VIVACE. CAPRICCIOSOX. VIVACE. CAPRICCIOSOX. VIVACE. CAPRICCIOSOX. VIVACE. CAPRICCIOSO

THE MOST OVERTLY VIRTUOSIC MOVEMENT OF MUSICA RICERCATA. THE SEEMINGLYFREE USE OF DISSONANCE CAN BE TRACED TO THE BITONALITY BETWEEN D ANDC#, FROM WHICH MANY OF THE CONFLICTING MOTIVES ARE DERIVED. BEGINNING

WITH A RHYTHMICALLY DRIVING LOW CHROMATIC MELODY (ALTERNATING BETWEENBARS OF 2/4 AND 3/8), A HIGHER ARPEGGIATED MELODY IS QUICKLY INTRODUCEDAS A SECONDARY THEME. AFTER A STRONG RESTATEMENT OF THE OPENING THEME,LIGETI TRANSITIONS INTO A SET OF MATERIAL LABELED "CAPRICCIOSO EBURLESCO", WHICH USES AN ARPEGGIATED MELODY WITH CHROMATICACCOMPANIMENT, EFFECTIVELY A COMBINATION OF THE TWO PRINCIPAL IDEASTHUS FAR. AS LIGETI MAKES MORE AND MORE USE OF THE MINOR SECONDDISSONANCE BETWEEN THE TWO PITCH CENTERS OF D AND C# THROUGH FURTHERRESTATEMENTS OF THE FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD THEMES, TONE CLUSTERSBEGIN TO DEVELOP. THESE CLUSTERS AGGREGATE PITCHES THROUGH A SECTIONMARKED "INSISTENT, SPITEFUL" BEFORE CULMINATING IN A SINGLE, LARGECLUSTER USING ALL PITCHES EXCEPT C. THIS IS MARKED TO BE REPEATED"OFTEN" AND PLAYED "AS IF MAD". AFTER BUILDING TO MAXIMUM, A RESTPROVIDES SOME BREATHING ROOM BEFORE A RESTATEMENT OF THE ARPEGGIOTHEME CULMINATING ON THE FIRST PITCH OF THE MOVEMENT, D.

THIS MOVEMENT OF MUSICA RICERCATAWAS ACTUALLY BANNED FROMPERFORMANCE IN LIGETIS NATIVE HUNGARY DUE TO ITS EXTREME CHROMATICISMAND DISSONANCE.


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XI. (XI. (XI. (XI. (OMAGGIO A GIROLAMO FRESCOBALDIOMAGGIO A GIROLAMO FRESCOBALDIOMAGGIO A GIROLAMO FRESCOBALDIOMAGGIO A GIROLAMO FRESCOBALDI) ANDANTE MISURATO E) ANDANTE MISURATO E) ANDANTE MISURATO E) ANDANTE MISURATO ETRANQUILLOTRANQUILLOTRANQUILLOTRANQUILLO

THE BAROQUE COMPOSER FRESCOBALDI IS REGARDED AS AN IMPORTANTINNOVATOR IN THE FIELD OF THE RICERCARE, A FORERUNNER OF THE LATERFUGUE FORM OF IMITATIVE COUNTERPOINT. INDEED, THIS FINAL MOVEMENT OFMUSICA RICERCATAIS STRUCTURED AS A LOOSE RICERCARE OR FUGUE, AND WASLATER PUBLISHED IN AN ORGAN VERSION TITLED RICERCARE PER ORGANO -OMAGGIO A GIROLAMO FRESCOBALDIIN 1953.

THE SUBJECT IS A TONE ROW EMPLOYING ALL TWELVE CHROMATIC PITCHES.SUCCESSIVE ENTRANCES OF THE THEME OCCUR AT THE FIFTH, AS IN A PROPERFUGUE, BUT ALWAYS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW THE PREVIOUS COMPLETE SUBJECTSTATEMENT. THE COUNTERSUBJECT, A SIMPLE DESCENDING CHROMATIC SCALE, ISALWAYS HEARD IN A VOICE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING ITS STATEMENT OF THE

SUBJECT. LIGETI DOES NOT ADHERE TO A GREAT MANY CONSTRAINTS OF FUGUE,HOWEVER, AS SUCCESSIVE ENTRANCES OFTEN RESULT IN A GREAT DEAL OFPARALLEL MOTION BETWEEN THE VOICES. RHYTHMIC VALUES GRADUALLY DIMINISHWITH SUCCESSIVE ENTRANCES OF THE SUBJECT, SETTING UP A DICHOTOMYBETWEEN LONGER AND SHORTER RHYTHMIC VALUES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PIECE.AFTER A SERIES OF STRETTI THAT EXTEND THE OUTER VOICES TO THE VERY EDGESOF THE PIANOS RANGE, THE SUBJECT BECOMES RHYTHMICALLY FRAGMENTED ANDIRREGULAR, EVENTUALLY ALIGHTING ON THE FINAL PITCH A, WITH WHICH THEENTIRE PIECE BEGAN.


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THIS BOOKLET IS PUBLISHED AT 50 COPIES, FOR ELAINE LEVY PROJECT.DURING THE 9 and WEEKS. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH.

SPECIAL THANKS TO CAROLINE DURIS, JONATHAN P. LEVY, FLORENTDELVAL, L. COHEN, C. PALESTINE AND A. STOCLET. .


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Musica Ricercata Analysis

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