THE ELECTRONIC WORKS OF GYÖRGY LIGETI AND THEIR ...

traditional pitch systems, such as the prevalence of A 440 in Section B, and that parts of it
are periodic, or semi-periodic. Other influences are nebulous: the calculation of durations
in seconds is typical of Bartók, as is the emphasis on symmetry, though these could also
have come respectively through Ligeti’s instruction in the studio and his recent exposure
to Webern. The ambiguity of the piece’s form, however, is something quite novel, and as
Sabbe and Luchese argue, multivalent forms are present in Ligeti’s later works as well.
When Glissandi is viewed as such, one realizes the degree to which Ligeti’s initial
description belies the subtleties of the work and denies much of its nuance and importance.
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