Table Of ContentLigeti’s Laments: nostaLgia, exoticism,
and the absoLute
In memory of Barbara R. Bauer
Ligeti’s Laments: nostalgia,
exoticism, and the absolute
amy bauer
University of California, Irvine, USA
First published 2011 by Ashgate Publishing
Published 2016 by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Copyright bach musicological font by © yo tomita© amy bauer 2011
amy bauer has asserted her right under the copyright, designs and Patents act, 1988, to
be identified as the author of this work.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
bauer, amy marie.
Ligeti’s laments : nostalgia, exoticism, and the absolute.
1.Ligeti, györgy, 1923-2006 – criticism and
interpretation. 2. Ligeti, györgy, 1923–2006 –
appreciation. 3. Laments – history and criticism.
i. title
780.9'2-dc22
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
bauer, amy marie.
Ligeti’s laments : nostalgia, exoticism, and the absolute / amy bauer.
p.cm.
includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978-1-4094-0041-7 (hardcover)
1. Ligeti, györgy, 1923-2006 – criticism and interpretation. i. title.
mL410.L645b38 2011
780.92–dc22
2011008618
ISBN 13 : 978-1-4094-0041-7 (hbk)
contents
List of Examples vii
List of Figures xi
List of Tables xiii
Preface and Acknowledgments xv
List of Abbreviations xvii
1 the cosmopolitan exception 1
2 Ligeti’s ur-Laments 23
3 Lament and the universal exception 57
4 the transparent tangle of history 91
5 the singular exotic 141
6 Lament and the absolute 159
7 Lament as genre 175
Select Bibliography 205
Index 223
List of examples
2.1 Magány, mm. 1–19. Ligeti magÁny – soLitude © 1988
by schott music, mainz – germany. For all countries except
former ussr, Poland, former ddr, czechoslovakia, hungary,
rumania and bulgaria. all rights reserved. used by permission
of european american music distributors LLc, sole u.s. and
canadian agent for schott music, mainz – germany. 25
2.2 Magány, m. 49–close. Ligeti magÁny – soLitude © 1988
by schott music, mainz – germany. For all countries except
former ussr, Poland, former ddr, czechoslovakia, hungary,
rumania and bulgaria. all rights reserved. used by permission
of european american music distributors LLc, sole u.s. and
canadian agent for schott music, mainz – germany. 26
2.3 “a bujdosó,” mm. 1–2, 11, 30–4. Ligeti Öt arany-daL © 2004
by schott music, mainz – germany. all rights reserved. used by
permission of european american music distributors LLc, sole
u.s. and canadian agent for schott music, mainz – germany. 28
2.4 Pápainé, mm. 5–10, 21–3, 33–6. Ligeti PÁPainÉ – WidoW
PÁPai © 1988 by schott music, mainz – germany. For
all countries except former ussr, Poland, former ddr,
czechoslovakia, hungary, rumania and bulgaria. all rights
reserved. used by permission of european american music
distributors LLc, sole u.s. and canadian agent for schott music,
mainz – germany. 30
2.5 Aventures, mm. 1–6. copyright © 1961 by henri Litolff’s Verlag.
used by permission of c.F. Peters corporation. all rights reserved. 47
2.6 Aventures, mm. 114–15. copyright © 1961 by henri Litolff’s
Verlag. used by permission of c.F. Peters corporation. all rights
reserved. 51
3.1 Musica ricercata, no. 5, metric analysis, mm. 18–28. 67
3.2 Requiem, “Lacrimosa,” pitch reduction. 69
3.3 cello concerto, i, mm. 36–43. copyright © 1967 by henri
Litolff’s Verlag. used by permission of c.F. Peters corporation.
all rights reserved. 72
3.4 Ramifications, analysis of mm. 76–9. Ligeti ramiFications ©
1970 by schott music, mainz – germany © renewed. all rights
reserved. used by permission of european american music
viii Ligeti’s Laments: Nostalgia, Exoticism, and the Absolute
distributors LLc, sole u.s. and canadian agent for schott music,
mainz – germany. 74
3.5a Frescobaldi, “recercar cromatico,” mm. 1–7. 77
3.5b Ligeti, Ricercare per organo, mm. 1–9. Ligeti ricercare ©
1990 by schott music, mainz – germany. all rights reserved.
used by permission of european american music distributors
LLc, sole u.s. and canadian agent for schott music, mainz –
germany. 77
3.6 “monument,” pitch entry chart and rhythmic form. 82
4.1 Lontano, analysis of canon i. 95
4.2 mozart, Don Giovanni, finale, Commendatore’s rising line 115
4.3 Le Grand Macabre, rehearsal number 59, and lament analysis.
Ligeti Le grand macabre © 1996 by schott music, mainz
– germany. all rights reserved. used by permission of european
american music distributors LLc, sole u.s. and canadian agent
for schott music, mainz – germany. 116
4.4 Verdi, Falstaff, act ii, Falstaff’s clock scene. 117
4.5 Le Grand Macabre, nekrotzar’s midnight aria, rehearsal number
62. Ligeti Le grand macabre © 1996 by schott music,
mainz – germany. all rights reserved. used by permission
of european american music distributors LLc, sole u.s. and
canadian agent for schott music, mainz – germany. 118
4.6 Le Grand Macabre, twelve-tone theme, rehearsal number 122.
Ligeti Le grand macabre © 1996 by schott music, mainz
– germany. all rights reserved. used by permission of european
american music distributors LLc, sole u.s. and canadian agent
for schott music, mainz – germany. 122
4.7 Le Grand Macabre, mescalina’s lament, rehearsal numbers 153–6.
Ligeti Le grand macabre © 1996 by schott music, mainz
– germany. all rights reserved. used by permission of european
american music distributors LLc, sole u.s. and canadian agent
for schott music, mainz – germany. 124
4.8 Le Grand Macabre, intermezzo, rehearsal number 603. Ligeti Le
grand macabre © 1996 by schott music, mainz – germany.
all rights reserved. used by permission of european american
music distributors LLc, sole u.s. and canadian agent for schott
music, mainz – germany. 132
4.9a beethoven, Eroica Symphony, finale, mm. 12–27. 135
4.9b Le Grand Macabre, finale, rehearsal numbers 674–5. Ligeti LE
grand macabre © 1996 by schott music, mainz – germany.
all rights reserved. used by permission of european american
music distributors LLc, sole u.s. and canadian agent for schott
music, mainz – germany. 135
List of Examples ix
5.1 “galamb borong,” mm. 1–12 annotated. Ligeti Études © 1998
by schott music, mainz – germany. all rights reserved. used by
permission of european american music distributors LLc, sole
u.s. and canadian agent for schott music, mainz – germany. 146
5.2 Piano concerto, i, rhythmic sets in mm. 1–16. 151
6.1 horn trio, i, pitch reduction, mm. 1–22. 164
6.2 horn trio, ii, analysis, mm. 1–3. Ligeti trio © 2001 by
schott music, mainz – germany. all rights reserved. used by
permission of european american music distributors LLc, sole
u.s. and canadian agent for schott music, mainz – germany. 167
7.1 Piano concerto, ii, subject entries, mm. 4–28. Ligeti concerto
© 2005 by schott music, mainz – germany. all rights reserved.
used by permission of european american music distributors
LLc, sole u.s. and canadian agent for schott music, mainz –
germany. 180
7.2 Piano concerto, ii, talea cycles, mm. 4–28. 182
7.3 Piano concerto, V, piano solo, mm. 63–71. Ligeti concerto
© 2005 by schott music, mainz – germany. all rights reserved.
used by permission of european american music distributors
LLc, sole u.s. and canadian agent for schott music, mainz –
germany. 186
7.4 Violin concerto, iii, passacaglia cycles i–xV. 188
7.5 berg, Violin concerto, adagio, mm. 200–11. alban berg,
Violinkonzert “dem andenken eines engels” für Violine und
orchester © copyright 1936, 1996 by universal edition a.g.
Wien/ue 34119. 193
7.6 Viola sonata, V, “Lamento,” reduction, mm. 1–40. 200
