SOLO PIANO AND PIECES

an emulated score study for eleven pianos

MUSICA RICERCATA (INTERPRETED LITERALLY AS "RESEARCHED MUSIC"

OR "SOUGHT MUSIC") IS A MUSICAL PIECE FOR PIANO WRITTEN BY
GYRGY LIGETI IN 1953.
FIVE YEAR LATER, IN 1957, THE WORD "EMULATOR" WAS COINED AT
IBM, AS AN OPTIONAL FEATURE IN THE IBM 709 TO EXECUTE LEGACY IBM
704 PROGRAMS ON THE IBM 709.
THE PITCH STRUCTURE OF MUSICA RICERCATA IS CONFINES 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
MOVEMENT
MOVEMENT
MOVEMENT
MOVEMENT
MOVEMENT
MOVEMENT
MOVEMENT
MOVEMENT
MOVEMENT
MOVEMENT

I = A, D
II = E#, F#, G
III = C, E, EB, G
IV = A, BB, F#, G, G#
V = AB, B, C#, D, F, G
VI = A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G
VII = AB, A, BB, C, D, EB, 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, GB, G, G#
XI = A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#

"SOLO PIANO AND PIECES" EMULATES LIGETIS CONCEPT OF PITCH

STRUCTURE TO ELEVEN GRAND PIANO.
THE SHOW FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHY, SKETCHES AND MIXED MEDIA.
"MUSICA RICERCATA", WILL BE INTERPRETED BY CAROLINE DURIS ON
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13TH AT 7.30PM.
TAL HADAD. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13 .
TH

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 COUNTERPOINT). 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).

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 TREMOLO AS THE MAIN
THEME RETURNS IN A MORE "MENACING" CONTEXT. THE MOVEMENT GRADUALLY
PETERS OUT, WITH BOTH THE MAIN THEME AND REPEATED GS FADING INTO
SILENCE.
PORTIONS OF THIS MOVEMENT WERE FEATURED ON THE SOUNDTRACK TO STANLEY
KUBRICKS EYES WIDE SHUT[6]

III. ALLEGRO CON SPIRITO

THE JAUNTY, ALMOST BLUESY, QUALITY OF THIS MOVEMENT REPRESENTS YET
ANOTHER CONTRAST TO WHATS COME BEFORE. THE PLAYFUL JUXTAPOSITION OF A
C-MAJOR TONALITY (C-E-G) AND C-MINOR (C-EB-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 EB, 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 COMPOSERS SONATINA FOR PIANO, FOUR HANDS.

IV. TEMPO DI VALSE (POCO VIVACE - A LORGUE

LORGUE DE BARBARIE )
ANOTHER LIGHT MOVEMENT, THIS TIME SET IN AN OFF-KILTER WALTZ IN WHICH
THE TRIPLE PULSE IS OCCASIONALLY INTERRUPTED BY A MEASURE OF 2/4.
FURTHER COMPLICATING MATTERS RHYTHMICALLY IS LIGETIS 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 ["LORGUE 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 CLASSG#--NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE PIECE AT A
FORTISSIMO IN THREE OCTAVES, BEING ESPECIALLY CONSPICUOUS, THOUGH THE
G#/AB 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 TRICHORDS 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
AB 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 GS,
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
OSTINATO 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 COMPOSERS SONATINA FOR PIANO, FOUR HANDS. IT IS USED AGAIN IN
THE SECOND MOVEMENT OF HIS VIOLIN CONCERTO (1992).

VIII. VIVACE. ENERGICO

THE SILENCE OF THE PREVIOUS MOVEMENT IS BROKEN BY A LOUD DISSONANCE ON
OCTAVE 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 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
MOVEMENT
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.

IX. ( BLA BARTK 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 (BARING SOME SIMILARITY TO
THE "VERBUNKOS" FROM BARTKS 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.

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 THEME. 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.
THIS MOVEMENT OF MUSICA RICERCATA WAS ACTUALLY BANNED FROM
PERFORMANCE IN LIGETIS NATIVE HUNGARY DUE TO ITS EXTREME CHROMATICISM
AND DISSONANCE.

XI. ( OMAGGIO A GIROLAMO FRESCOBALDI ) ANDANTE MISURATO E

TRANQUILLO
THE BAROQUE COMPOSER 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 PIANOS RANGE, THE SUBJECT BECOMES RHYTHMICALLY FRAGMENTED AND
IRREGULAR, EVENTUALLY ALIGHTING ON THE FINAL PITCH A, WITH WHICH THE
ENTIRE PIECE BEGAN.

THIS BOOKLET IS PUBLISHED AT 50 COPIES, FOR ELAINE LEVY PROJECT.

DURING THE 9 and WEEKS. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13 .
TH

SPECIAL THANKS TO CAROLINE DURIS, JONATHAN P. LEVY, FLORENT

DELVAL, L. COHEN, C. PALESTINE AND A. STOCLET. .