Musica ricercata
Encyclopedia
Musica ricercata is a set of eleven pieces for piano
by György Ligeti
. The work was composed from 1951 to 1953, shortly after the composer began lecturing at the Budapest
Academy of Music. The work premiered on November 18, 1969 in Sundsvall, Sweden. Although the ricercata (or ricercar
) is an established contrapuntal style (and the final movement of the work is in that form), Ligeti's title should probably be interpreted literally as "researched music" or "sought music". This work captures the essence of Ligeti's search to construct his own compositional style ex nihilo, and as such presages many of the more radical directions Ligeti would take in the future.
In response to a request by the Jeney Quintet, six of the movements were arranged for wind quintet
as Six Bagatelles for Wind Quintet (1953). They are, in order: III, V, VII, VIII, IX, X.
Eight movements (I, III, IV, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI) were transcribed for bayan
by Parisian accordionist Max Bonnay.
). A thunderous beginning leads into a gradual crescendo and accelerando
consisting of layered polyrhythms in various registers. The coda, a metered accelerando, pounds out several more octaves of A before we finally hear D. The relationship between D and A is reinforced by the holding of both subharmonics and overtones of D, which contain A (a result of the harmonic series
).
as the main theme returns in a more "menacing" context. The movement gradually dissolves, with both the main theme and repeated G's fading into silence.
Portions of this movement were featured on the soundtrack to Stanley Kubrick
's Eyes Wide Shut
This movement is actually a reworking of ideas from the first movement of the composer's Sonatina
for Piano, Four Hands.
in which the triple pulse is occasionally interrupted by a measure of 2/4. Further complicating matters rhythmically is Ligeti's indication in the score that "The metronome value refers to the maximum tempo. The piece may be interpreted freely--as well as being slower--with rubati, ritenuti, accelerandi, just as the organ grinder would play his barrel organ ["l'orgue de Barbarie"]." In keeping with this style, there are occasional abrupt pauses or changes in dynamics and indications for ritardandi and accelerandi.
The piece is formally structured like a standard waltz tune, roughly akin to AABA. The A theme consists of a running scale with a short turn at the end of the phrase. The B section is generally louder, with a greater dynamic and pitch range, with chords in the melody (not heard in the A-section). The triple-feel waltz background continues in the left hand almost throughout. As in previous movements, Ligeti chooses to introduce a new pitch class—G--near the middle of the piece at a fortissimo in three octaves, being especially conspicuous, though the G/A disappears after only a few bars as it becomes subsumed by the main waltz theme.
related by a tritone
. The tritone becomes an extremely important interval in this movement, as it is introduced as part of the secondary theme in the left hand and forms the basis for the parallel harmonies heard as both accompaniment to the 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 and A which continues to interrupt the fragments of the primary and secondary themes as they fade toward the end of the movement. The movement concludes as the "bell" continues to toll in low octave G's, growing to a triple forte.
in the left hand that Ligeti indicates should be rhythmically and dynamically independent from the right hand. The right hand carries a folk-like melody that is first heard alone in single notes before it gets juxtaposed in a loose canon with various transformed versions of itself, producing a lively counterpoint with rich harmonies and a sense of rhythmic freedom. Eventually, both hands move up an octave, significantly lightening the texture. The piece concludes with the right hand taking over the ostinato at a yet higher octave; the ostinato progressively loses notes until it is only a trill on F and G which proceeds to fade away to silence.
This movement is clearly based on the second movement, "Andante", from the composer's Sonatina for Piano, Four Hands. It is used again in the second movement of his Violin Concerto
(1992).
Although the rhythmic accent pattern drives the movement, Ligeti deletes beats from certain measures in order to "restart" the pattern in sections in which the left hand restatement of the theme is offset from the right. Ligeti further reinforces the folk-dance origins of the movement by using a great deal of open fifths in the accompaniment that correspond to the open strings on a fiddle or cello. In fact, the many metric "skips" and rhythmic offsets may be referring to folk musicians who accidentally enter at the wrong times.
" from Bartók's dance suite Contrasts
). Both these melodic and rhythmic motives get used throughout the movement. After the initial, mournful presentation of the theme comes a suddenly loud repetition of minor 3rds in the right hand, along with a left hand restatement of the main theme marked "as if panicking". After these more agitated explorations of the theme, a much lighter texture prevails with tremolos accompanying another minor 3rd-centric melody. The piece concludes as the low C "bells" continue their inescapable tolling.
. After a strong restatement of the opening theme, Ligeti transitions into a set of material labeled "capriccioso
e burlesco", which uses an arpeggiated melody with chromatic accompaniment
, effectively a combination of the two principal ideas thus far. As Ligeti makes more and more use of the minor second
dissonance
between the two pitch centers of D and C through further restatements of the first, second, and third themes, tone clusters begin to develop. These clusters aggregate pitches through a section marked "insistent, spiteful" before culminating in a single, large cluster using all pitches except C. This is marked to be repeated "often" and played "as if mad". After building to maximum, a rest provides some breathing room before a restatement of the arpeggio theme culminating on the first pitch of the movement, D.
In the first performance of Six Bagatelles for Wind Quintet, the last movement (an arrangement of Musica ricercata X) was left out for being too 'dangerous' because of its dissonance and chromaticism.
composer Girolamo Frescobaldi
is regarded as an important innovator in the field of the ricercare, a forerunner of the later fugue
form of imitative counterpoint
. Indeed, this final movement of Musica ricercata is structured as a loose ricercare or fugue, and was later published in an organ version titled Ricercare per organo - Omaggio a Girolamo Frescobaldi in 1953.
The subject is a tone row employing all twelve chromatic pitches. Successive entrances of the theme occur at the fifth, as in a proper fugue, but always immediately follow the previous complete subject statement. The countersubject
, a simple descending chromatic scale, is always 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 of parallel motion between the voices. Rhythmic values gradually diminish with successive entrances of the subject, setting up a dichotomy between longer and shorter rhythmic values in the middle of the piece. After a series of stretti that extend the outer voices to the very edges of the piano's range, the subject becomes rhythmically fragmented and irregular, eventually alighting on the final pitch A, with which the entire piece began.
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
by György Ligeti
György Ligeti
György Sándor Ligeti was a composer of contemporary classical music. Born in a Hungarian Jewish family in Transylvania, Romania, he briefly lived in Hungary before becoming an Austrian citizen.-Early life:...
. The work was composed from 1951 to 1953, shortly after the composer began lecturing at the Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
Academy of Music. The work premiered on November 18, 1969 in Sundsvall, Sweden. Although the ricercata (or ricercar
Ricercar
A ricercar is a type of late Renaissance and mostly early Baroque instrumental composition. The term means to search out, and many ricercars serve a preludial function to "search out" the key or mode of a following piece...
) is an established contrapuntal style (and the final movement of the work is in that form), Ligeti's title should probably be interpreted literally as "researched music" or "sought music". This work captures the essence of Ligeti's search to construct his own compositional style ex nihilo, and as such presages many of the more radical directions Ligeti would take in the future.
In response to a request by the Jeney Quintet, six of the movements were arranged for wind quintet
Wind quintet
A wind quintet, also sometimes known as a woodwind quintet, is a group of five wind players . The term also applies to a composition for such a group....
as Six Bagatelles for Wind Quintet (1953). They are, in order: III, V, VII, VIII, IX, X.
Eight movements (I, III, IV, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI) were transcribed for bayan
Bayan (accordion)
The bayan is a type of chromatic button accordion developed in Russia in the early 20th century and named after 11th-century bard Boyan.-Characteristics:The bayan differs from western chromatic button accordions in some details of construction:...
by Parisian accordionist Max Bonnay.
Pitch structure
An important global structural feature of Musica ricercata is that Ligeti confines himself to only certain pitch classes in each movement, with each subsequent movement having exactly one more pitch class than the last. The pitches found in each movement are as follows:| Movement | Pitches |
|---|---|
| I | A, D |
| II | E, F, G |
| III | C, E, E, G |
| IV | A, B, F, G, G |
| V | A, B, C, D, F, G |
| VI | A, B, C, D, E, F, G |
| VII | A, A, B, C, D, E, F, G |
| VIII | A, B, C, C, D, E, F, G, G |
| IX | A, A, B, C, C, D, D, F, F, G |
| X | A, A, B, C, D, D, E, F, G, G, G |
| XI | A, A, B, C, C, D, D, E, F, F, G, G |
Movement by movement
Following are brief descriptions (with some analysis) of each movement of Musica ricercata.I. Sostenuto -- Misurato -- Prestissimo
This movement uses the pitch class A almost exclusively (D is introduced as the final note, thereby providing an impetus to the rest of the movements). Ligeti develops this single pitch class by exploiting the dimensions of rhythm and timbre (an example of timbral counterpointCounterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
). A thunderous beginning leads into a gradual crescendo and accelerando
Accelerando
Accelerando may refer to:* Accelerando , a 2005 science fiction novel by Charles Stross* Accelerando, an increase in musical tempo*Accelerando, an album by Kappa...
consisting of layered polyrhythms in various registers. The coda, a metered accelerando, pounds out several more octaves of A before we finally hear D. The relationship between D and A is reinforced by the holding of both subharmonics and overtones of D, which contain A (a result of the harmonic series
Harmonic series (music)
Pitched musical instruments are often based on an approximate harmonic oscillator such as a string or a column of air, which oscillates at numerous frequencies simultaneously. At these resonant frequencies, waves travel in both directions along the string or air column, reinforcing and canceling...
).
II. Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale
Both the material and mood of this movement differ markedly from the first. 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 single octave), and in quiet (una corda) octaves on both ends of the piano. The entrance of G near the middle of the piece is particularly stark, being vigorously attacked in an accelerando similar to that in the first movement. The G continues to sound in an unmetered tremoloTremolo
Tremolo, or tremolando, is a musical term that describes various trembling effects, falling roughly into two types. The first is a rapid reiteration...
as the main theme returns in a more "menacing" context. The movement gradually dissolves, with both the main theme and repeated G's fading into silence.
Portions of this movement were featured on the soundtrack to Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
's Eyes Wide Shut
Eyes Wide Shut
Eyes Wide Shut is a 1999 drama film based upon Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 novella Traumnovelle . The film was directed, produced and co-written by Stanley Kubrick, and was his last film. The story, set in and around New York City, follows the sexually-charged adventures of Dr...
III. Allegro con spirito
The jaunty, almost bluesy, quality of this movement represents yet another contrast to what's come before. The playful juxtaposition of a C-major tonality (C-E-G) and C-minor (C-E-G) forms the basis for the development of the main theme. The dynamics and register also freely and abruptly jump about, contributing further to the skittish nature of this movement. The piece ends on a low C after a number of simultaneous soundings of E and E, thereby making the dichotomy all the more apparent without actually resolving it.This movement is actually a reworking of ideas from the first movement of the composer's Sonatina
Sonatina
A sonatina is literally a small sonata. As a musical term, sonatina has no single strict definition; it is rather a title applied by the composer to a piece that is in basic sonata form, but is shorter, lighter in character, or more elementary technically than a typical sonata...
for Piano, Four Hands.
IV. Tempo di valse (poco vivace - « à l'orgue de Barbarie »)
Another light movement, this time set in an off-kilter waltzWaltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
in which the triple pulse is occasionally interrupted by a measure of 2/4. Further complicating matters rhythmically is Ligeti's indication in the score that "The metronome value refers to the maximum tempo. The piece may be interpreted freely--as well as being slower--with rubati, ritenuti, accelerandi, just as the organ grinder would play his barrel organ ["l'orgue de Barbarie"]." In keeping with this style, there are occasional abrupt pauses or changes in dynamics and indications for ritardandi and accelerandi.
The piece is formally structured like a standard waltz tune, roughly akin to AABA. The A theme consists of a running scale with a short turn at the end of the phrase. The B section is generally louder, with a greater dynamic and pitch range, with chords in the melody (not heard in the A-section). The triple-feel waltz background continues in the left hand almost throughout. As in previous movements, Ligeti chooses to introduce a new pitch class—G--near the middle of the piece at a fortissimo in three octaves, being especially conspicuous, though the G/A disappears after only a few bars as it becomes subsumed by the main waltz theme.
V. Rubato. Lamentoso
To complement the previous two lighter movements, the fifth returns to the seriousness of the second movement. Again, like the second movement, the main theme relies heavily on the semi-tone interval. However, the additional pitch resources of this movement permit the construction of two trichordsTrichord
In music theory, a trichord is a group of three different pitch classes found within a larger group . For example a continguous three note set from a musical scale or twelve-tone row. The term is derived by analogy from the 20th-century use of the word "tetrachord"...
related by a tritone
Tritone
In classical music from Western culture, the tritone |tone]]) is traditionally defined as a musical interval composed of three whole tones. In a chromatic scale, each whole tone can be further divided into two semitones...
. The tritone becomes an extremely important interval in this movement, as it is introduced as part of the secondary theme in the left hand and forms the basis for the parallel harmonies heard as both accompaniment to the 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 and A which continues to interrupt the fragments of the primary and secondary themes as they fade toward the end of the movement. The movement concludes as the "bell" continues to toll in low octave G's, growing to a triple forte.
VI. 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 (thus tentatively establishing an A-major tonality) defines the initial melodic material while a scalewise ascent from A to E is heard in the left hand accompaniment. Eventually the upward and downward motives mix and recombine, jostled together in a melodic toy-box. The piece ends on an appropriately awkward and unexpected E (from an F-minor chord), leaving the listener with a lack of resolution.VII. Cantabile, molto legato
A most intriguing and unique movement, it begins with a seven-note ostinatoOstinato
In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase, which is persistently repeated in the same musical voice. An ostinato is always a succession of equal sounds, wherein each note always has the same weight or stress. The repeating idea may be a rhythmic pattern, part of a tune, or a complete melody in...
in the left hand that Ligeti indicates should be rhythmically and dynamically independent from the right hand. The right hand carries a folk-like melody that is first heard alone in single notes before it gets juxtaposed in a loose canon with various transformed versions of itself, producing a lively counterpoint with rich harmonies and a sense of rhythmic freedom. Eventually, both hands move up an octave, significantly lightening the texture. The piece concludes with the right hand taking over the ostinato at a yet higher octave; the ostinato progressively loses notes until it is only a trill on F and G which proceeds to fade away to silence.
This movement is clearly based on the second movement, "Andante", from the composer's Sonatina for Piano, Four Hands. It is used again in the second movement of his Violin Concerto
Violin Concerto (Ligeti)
The Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by György Ligeti is a violin concerto written for and dedicated to the violinist Saschko Gawriloff. A performance of the work lasts about 28 minutes.-History:...
(1992).
VIII. Vivace. Energico
The silence of the previous movement is broken by a loud dissonance on octave D's and E's. Thus introduced, the main theme is heard in octaves, a lively and vigorous dance in 7/8. This main theme is characterized by a scalar lower melody in which each note is accompanied by an upper E. After a number of transformations of this melody in the left hand, that hand plays the theme as an accompaniment figure while the right hand plays a light, playful, rhythmically-mutated version of the scalar melody from the main theme. This complete, the main theme returns in both hands in all its glory, fading briefly to a restatement of the secondary melody idea before the main theme decisively concludes the movementAlthough the rhythmic accent pattern drives the movement, Ligeti deletes beats from certain measures in order to "restart" the pattern in sections in which the left hand restatement of the theme is offset from the right. Ligeti further reinforces the folk-dance origins of the movement by using a great deal of open fifths in the accompaniment that correspond to the open strings on a fiddle or cello. In fact, the many metric "skips" and rhythmic offsets may be referring to folk musicians who accidentally enter at the wrong times.
IX. (Béla Bartók in Memoriam) Adagio. Mesto -- Allegro maestoso
Another "serious" movement, this begins with low octave C's, which the composer marked as "like low-sounding bells". From these depths arises a melody consisting of a series of minor 3rd pairs in a consistent sixteenth/dotted-eighth rhythm (bearing some similarity to the "VerbunkosVerbunkos
Verbunkos is an 18th-century Hungarian dance and music genre. Erroneously, this genre was sometimes attributed to Gypsies, because usually they were the musicians, although the Magyars themselves were sometimes performers,as well....
" from Bartók's dance suite Contrasts
Contrasts (Bartók)
Contrasts is a 1938 composition scored for clarinet-violin-piano trio by Béla Bartók . It is based on Hungarian and Romanian dance melodies and has three movements with a combined duration of 17-20 minutes. Bartók wrote the work in response to a letter from violinist Joseph Szigeti, although it...
). Both these melodic and rhythmic motives get used throughout the movement. After the initial, mournful presentation of the theme comes a suddenly loud repetition of minor 3rds in the right hand, along with a left hand restatement of the main theme marked "as if panicking". After these more agitated explorations of the theme, a much lighter texture prevails with tremolos accompanying another minor 3rd-centric melody. The piece concludes as the low C "bells" continue their inescapable tolling.
X. Vivace. Capriccioso
The most overtly virtuosic movement of Musica ricercata. The seemingly free use of dissonance can be traced to the bitonality between D and C, from which many of the conflicting motives are derived. Beginning with a rhythmically driving low chromatic melody (alternating between bars of 2/4 and 3/8), a higher arpeggiated melody is quickly introduced as a secondary themeTheme (music)
In music, a theme is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based.-Characteristics:A theme may be perceivable as a complete musical expression in itself, separate from the work in which it is found . In contrast to an idea or motif, a theme is...
. After a strong restatement of the opening theme, Ligeti transitions into a set of material labeled "capriccioso
Capriccio (music)
A capriccio or caprice , is a piece of music, usually fairly free in form and of a lively character...
e burlesco", which uses an arpeggiated melody with chromatic accompaniment
Accompaniment
In music, accompaniment is the art of playing along with an instrumental or vocal soloist or ensemble, often known as the lead, in a supporting manner...
, effectively a combination of the two principal ideas thus far. As Ligeti makes more and more use of the minor second
Minor second
In modern Western tonal music theory a minor second is the interval between two notes on adjacent staff positions, or having adjacent note letters, whose alterations cause them to be one semitone or half-step apart, such as B and C or C and D....
dissonance
Dissonance
Dissonance has several meanings, all related to conflict or incongruity:*Consonance and dissonance in music are properties of an interval or chord*Cognitive dissonance is a state of mental conflict...
between the two pitch centers of D and C through further restatements of the first, second, and third themes, tone clusters begin to develop. These clusters aggregate pitches through a section marked "insistent, spiteful" before culminating in a single, large cluster using all pitches except C. This is marked to be repeated "often" and played "as if mad". After building to maximum, a rest provides some breathing room before a restatement of the arpeggio theme culminating on the first pitch of the movement, D.
In the first performance of Six Bagatelles for Wind Quintet, the last movement (an arrangement of Musica ricercata X) was left out for being too 'dangerous' because of its dissonance and chromaticism.
XI. (Omaggio a Girolamo Frescobaldi) Andante misurato e tranquillo
The BaroqueBaroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
composer Girolamo Frescobaldi
Girolamo Frescobaldi
Girolamo Frescobaldi was a musician from Ferrara, one of the most important composers of keyboard music in the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. A child prodigy, Frescobaldi studied under Luzzasco Luzzaschi in Ferrara, but was influenced by a large number of composers, including Ascanio...
is regarded as an important innovator in the field of the ricercare, a forerunner of the later fugue
Fugue
In music, a fugue is a compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and recurs frequently in the course of the composition....
form of imitative counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
. Indeed, this final movement of Musica ricercata is structured as a loose ricercare or fugue, and was later published in an organ version titled Ricercare per organo - Omaggio a Girolamo Frescobaldi in 1953.
The subject is a tone row employing all twelve chromatic pitches. Successive entrances of the theme occur at the fifth, as in a proper fugue, but always immediately follow the previous complete subject statement. The countersubject
Countersubject
In music, a countersubject is a melodic or thematic idea which is played against a primary subject of a fugue, ricercar, invention, sinfonia, or other contrapuntal piece of music...
, a simple descending chromatic scale, is always 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 of parallel motion between the voices. Rhythmic values gradually diminish with successive entrances of the subject, setting up a dichotomy between longer and shorter rhythmic values in the middle of the piece. After a series of stretti that extend the outer voices to the very edges of the piano's range, the subject becomes rhythmically fragmented and irregular, eventually alighting on the final pitch A, with which the entire piece began.