THE ELECTRONIC WORKS OF GYÖRGY LIGETI AND THEIR ...

in the introduction. Moreover, translations between the language used by the Cologne
composers and that used by Cogan will prove useful. In terms of spectrum and more
specifically, pitch versus noise, Ligeti, and subsequently, Wehinger usually define three
basic categories: sine tones, impulses, and noise. This division resembles Koenig (see
above footnote 20), who defines impulses as 1% deviation from a given bandwidth, and
thus, for our purposes can be considered a mid-range category between compact (sine-
tones) and diffuse (noise) materials. Herbert Eimert, in his essay “What is Electronic
Music” defines the “Impulse or pulsation” as a basic element of electronic music, “also
known as Beats or Clicks (regular or statistic); at high dynamic levels corresponds to
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‘detonation’.” Later in the same volume of Die Reihe, Stockhausen mentions the use of
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“‘Periodic’ or... ‘Statistic’ sequences of filtered ‘beats’ (Knacke–clicks).” This use of
impulses shows that impulses often implied shorter durations and were often connected (as
they are in Koenig’s Essay) to less “serial” and more “statistic” methods of composition.
Ligeti also used harmonic and subharmonic spectra in his categorizations. Cogan’s
oppositions can help describe spectra in several ways. Narrow vs. wide might describe the
total spread of a given spectrum, non-spaced or spaced might describe the distance
between individual formants within a spectrum, and sparse vs. rich could characterize the
total number of strands present. Furthermore, Ligeti distinguishes between structures
(spectra, noises, sine-tones, etc.) which are glissing up or down and those which are fixed.
This corresponds to Cogan’s level vs. oblique category.
24
Herbert Eimert, “What is Electronic Music,” trans. uncredited, Die Reihe 1 (1955, English ed. 1957), 4.
25
Karlheinz Stockhausen, “Actualia,” trans. uncredited, Die Reihe 1 (1955, English ed. 1957), 46.
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