Klasszikus Összhangzattan. Segédkönyv. (Classical harmony. Reference Book.)
Budapest: Zeneműkiadó Vállalat, 1954. First edition of Ligeti’s first book. In original paper. 97, (3) p. In good condition.
Ligeti’s theoretical writings are important to understand his thoughts about composition, and also to interpret his pieces. As in the 1950s he was not allowed to publish any theoretical books, this work is rather important to trace his ideas of composing. For instance, the last example that Ligeti uses in this reference book and also in his second reference book in 1956 (the detail of the first movement of the coda of Beethoven’s Les Adieux sonata – Piano Sonata No. 26., Op. 81a), is the same melody that appears 30 years later in his Trio for Horn, Violin and Piano (Hommage à Brahms) in 1982.
György Ligeti (1923–2006) was a Hungarian (Transylvanian) born composer. Studied at the Music Academy of Cluj and Budapest. After his graduation he started to collect folk music in Romania and taught composing and counterpointing at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. He left Hungary after the revolution in 1956, and started to work at the radio station in Cologne where he made acquaintance with Karlheinz Stockhausen who had a major influence on his art. In 1959 settled down in Vienna and became citizen in 1967. Taught at the Universities of Darmstadt, Stockholm, Stanford and Hamburg.
Under the influence of Stockhausen he started to compose music for electronic instruments like Artikulation and Atmosphères. This gave him reputation in the Western European music scene. After these works he gave up composing electronic music but his experiences with such instruments made and effect on his later compositions.
His music could be characterised as a mixture of Western avant-garde music and Hungarian folk music combined with sense of humour and absurd.
Ligeti’s pieces (Lontano, Lux Aeterna, Requiem) were used as film music – among others – in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut also in Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island.
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Price: €550.00