THE ELECTRONIC WORKS OF GYÖRGY LIGETI AND THEIR ...

These invariant gestures divert one’s attention from the sine tone strands, which
begin to multiply towards the beginning of Event 2. The lower strand is obscured by the
invariant gestures centered on 335 Hz, which occupy the same range. When this strand
leaps up again, it collides with the upper strand at 2'08.5" and at 1448 Hz–near the
previous boundary between their ambits. From this point of intersection, the sine tones
diverge again, almost symmetrically, and at the height of this divergence, Event 2 begins.
While the onset of white noise clearly marks a new event, these sine tones continue,
turning back towards convergence, and creating a nearly symmetrical diamond over the
border of Events 1 and 2, which will be significant in the second half of the piece.
Event 2 begins with the introduction of white noise in the low and middle registers;
the noise extends from about 2600 Hz downward. Within this noisy range the sine tone
strands continue and even multiply, although the dense texture makes it difficult to point
out exactly where the new strands enter. This heterogeneous texture also includes
invariant gestures at 2'15" (670 Hz), and 2'19"(3200 Hz) and a final gesture at 2'24" (335
Hz). With this final gesture the white noise abates, and Event 3 begins.
As the texture thins, eliminating the white noise and dramatically reducing the
reverberation, the sine tones reemerge along with occasional invariant gestures. These
two types of material begin to separate in register as well, with the sine tones occupying
the span from 370 to 2056 Hz, and the invariant gestures occurring largely on either side
of this range–a trend which also contributes to the clarity of the texture. The final
invariant gesture, however, occurs squarely within this range, centered again at 670 Hz,
and with it materials which will characterize Section F begin to enter.
61