THE ELECTRONIC WORKS OF GYÖRGY LIGETI AND THEIR ...

While the form of Atmosphères is clearly indebted to the interplay between
different dimensions of timbre–an aspect of formal construction we have previously
associated with Artikulation–another feature of the rhythmic practice combines this with
the skewing of schematic form mentioned in connection with Glissandi. Ligeti discusses
his tempo markings saying that, “It was typical of me that I gave the exact duration of
each formal section in seconds and then wrote on the first page of the score that both
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duration and metronome markings are simply approximate indications.” Thus while the
proportions of the piece are geared towards this perception of continual fluctuation, they
may not be strictly observed. This is unlikely to dramatically effect the way the piece
unfolds, yet Ligeti’s acceptance of this kind of “impurity” is a significant aspect of his later
composition.
Conclusions:
The final chapter of this study has focused on Apparitions for a number of reasons.
As it is the first piece which Ligeti composed after the electronic works, it is here that
many of the compositional devices are most clearly transferred from the electronic to the
acoustic medium, and thus a thorough understanding of Apparitions is foundational to any
investigation of Ligeti’s later acoustic works, as the brief discussions of Harmonies and
Atmosphères have shown. Ligeti’s concern with internal versus external change and the
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Ligeti in Conversation, 43.
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