THE ELECTRONIC WORKS OF GYÖRGY LIGETI AND THEIR ...

dimensions throughout Region A, showing a change in 6 oppositional categories between
the first two events–moves from centered to extreme material, narrow to wide, soft to
moderate dynamics, little or no attack to the presence of significant attacks, sustained to
clipped elements, and reverberated to dry.
The profile established by the coordination of these characteristics is significant
though other regions of the piece. One prominent feature is the rhythmic contour of long-
short-short present across the three events, as well as within events 1 and 2, where the low
ending impulses define shorter durations after the longer body of the event. The registral
contour of middle-high-low, which is suggested subtly by Event A-1, is also significant,
and becomes better articulated later in the piece. While the rhythmic contour, occurring
on the scale of event and region, may suggest hierarchic construction, whether such a
structure plays out is a complicated issue that will be addressed later on in this chapter.
Region B
Region B (18-31") is coupled with A in the first phase, because it echoes the
trends of registral expansion, increase in volume, and acceleration of attacks. Region B
contrasts from A as it occurs in the left channel and with a lower overall register–largely
below 1000 Hz–and uses more compact impulses, closer to sine-tones, where pitches are
readily discernable. Like A, however, it is partitioned into three events (18-23", 23-26",
and 26-31") as shown in Figure 3.7. A long rest creates a clear break between the first
two events. The use of longer oblique pitches makes the two elements of Event 2 cohere,
and implies a weaker border with the third and final event. The first event begins close on
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