THE ELECTRONIC WORKS OF GYÖRGY LIGETI AND THEIR ...

A3 7 533.4 532 670 8.79
A4 9 685.8 684 740 9.71
A5 7 533.4 532 610 8.01
A6 14 1066.8 1064 1100 14.44
A7 29 2209.8 2204 2300 30.18
A8 14 1066.8 1064 1200 15.75
A9 24 1828.8 1824 1900 24.93
A10 2 152.4 152 450 5.91
A11 9 685.8 684 820 10.76
A12 3 228.6 228 550 7.22
B 5 381 380 1700 22.31
C 6 457.2 456 2500 32.81
D 7 533.4 532 1500 19.69
E 18 1371.6 1368 2100, 500, 1000* 27.56, 6.56, 13.12
F 14 1066.8 1064 2800 36.75
G 14 1066.8 1064 1400 18.37
*3 values appear in the sketches for Section E
While some of the modifications are substantial, it is significant to notice that these fall
predominantly in the second half of the piece. Nowhere before A10 is there more than 2
seconds (152.4 cm) of difference between the original and modified values. Also most of
these alterations involve shortening the original durations of the second half of the piece.
Since the piece, in Ligeti’s own words, involves a progression towards states of mixture,
and as we shall see in the analysis, this is often carried out by increasing the density of the
textures, it could be that prolonging the later stages of the piece worked against this goal,
although this is speculative. Since these later sections (B-G in particular) are so drastically
shortened, I find it misleading to consider them as equal partners to Section A, especially
since the subsections of A are often use the most contrasting material, and are, therefore,
the easiest to distinguish aurally, while the later regions are the more interpenetrated and
mixed together. I believe the “Regions” I identify below are more representative of how
one experiences the piece. In most cases, these Regions coincide with the subsections of
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