THE ELECTRONIC WORKS OF GYÖRGY LIGETI AND THEIR ...

Sonic Material (compact and diffuse)
A change in the use of diffuse materials helps divide Event 1 from Events 2 and 3.
Region C begins with a striking initial gesture–a band of filtered noise that sweeps
downward in a glissando of well over an octave from c. 480 - 180 Hz; noises up to this
point have only been in the background, as Region A fades in. Or they have occurred as
shorter, moderately compact/diffuse impulses and have not been this purely diffuse, been
sustained, or had such clear motion and prominence as a gesture. The continuation of
Region C, however, is largely mixed in character–using more compact tones prominently
in the upper register, while diffuse impulses are softer and lower, taking a background
role.
Register
The initial downward glissando of Region C is striking not only for its contrast
with Region B’s impulses and tones, but also in terms of register; the downward direction
of this glissando contrasts with the generally ascending motion of the previous region.
The contrast of this noise gliss is brought to the fore when compared to the prominent
glissandi of Region B, which were very compact pitches, more subtle in their oblique
motion, and were directed upwards. All of these registral and sonic characteristics set
Region C apart as something new.
The contrast in registral direction is, however, only momentary, as the continuation
of Region C is largely higher pitched, and this region presents a wide register throughout,
with elements from 70 to 3700 Hz. The continuation contains many prominent compact
tones as high as 3214 Hz–much higher than any definite pitched event in either of the first
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