THE ELECTRONIC WORKS OF GYÖRGY LIGETI AND THEIR ...

seen the progression from Glissandi where Ligeti calculates first and foremost in seconds,
to Artikulation where the calculations are primarily in centimeters; his continued rhythmic
practice in the first movement of Apparitions is similar, in that it involves calculations
nd
using almost-inaudibly minute units, in this case 32 notes.
Returning to the earlier analysis of Artikulation in light of Ligeti’s quote above, we
can now tell that the determination of the material in “Material 3” (see the previous
chapter, pp 98-100) followed the same procedures as Ligeti details in his quote above.
Moreover, while the individual tape segments were further altered, rearranged, and
impossible to trace back to the surface of the piece, this same process is found in
Apparitions where it can be traced from the composition’s abstract plan, directly to the
score. In sketches for that piece the diagram in Table 4.1 is found. 7
Table 4.1. Durations and Number of Instances for Apparitions, mvt. 1
I 2 80 160
II 3 53 159
III 4 40 160
IV 6 27 162
V 10 16 160
VI 14 11 154
VII 20 8 160
VIII 32 5 160
IX 48 3 144
X 80 2 160
XI 112 1 112
XII 160 1 160
(XIII) 256 1 256
Here, in an example quite similar to Table 3.1, showing “Material 3” from Artikulation,
there are twelve base values, which, in the second column are calculated in thirty-second
notes, and thus range from a sixteenth note to five whole notes, with a thirteenth value
7
Tables 4.1-4.4 are all transcribed from sketches in the György Ligeti Collection of the Paul Sacher
Foundation in Basel.
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