György Ligeti Essentials

Apple Music Classical

He wrote a piece for 100 metronomes (“Poeme Symphonique”), a comic-apocalyptic opera with a “Car Horn Prelude” (Le Grand Macabre), as well as jagged harpsichord pieces with titles like “Hungarian Rock”. Yes, your suspicions are correct: György Ligeti was one of the 20th century's most playful modernists. Bringing some much needed wit into the realm of the (usually) super-serious European avant-garde, his best works intrigue with their surprising textures while also entertaining on a visceral level. And Ligeti's influence is still felt today, not least through the music of composer Unsuk Chin, his onetime student.

Atmosphères

Vienna Philharmonic, Claudio Abbado

9:01

I. Dialogo: Adagio, rubato, cantabile

4:55

II. Capriccio: Presto con slancio

3:45

No. 7 in B-Flat Major. Cantabile, molto legato

Khatia Buniatishvili

2:54

No. 4, Fanfares

3:40

I. Corrente

Schönberg Ensemble, Reinbert de Leeuw

5:47

I. Praeludium. Vivacissimo luminoso

Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Péter Eötvös, Ensemble Moderne

3:57

II. Aria, Hoquetus, Choral. Andante con moto

Péter Eötvös, Ensemble Moderne, Patricia Kopatchinskaja

7:13

I. Vivace molto ritmico e preciso - Attacca subito

Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Pierre Boulez

3:57

II. Lento e deserto

Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Pierre Boulez

7:01

III. Vivace cantabile

Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez

4:23

Lux aeterna

Daniel Reuss, Cappella Amsterdam

9:50

Volumina (1961-2)

Zsigmond Szathmáry

14:11

Allegro grazioso

1:32

Vivace, capriccioso

0:33

A tempo

1:20

Adagio, mesto

2:09

Double Concerto for Flute, Oboe & Orchestra II. Allegro corrente

Asko Ensemble, Schönberg Ensemble, Heinz Holliger, Caroline Stein, London Voices, Terry Edwards

7:48

Lontano (for large orchestra)

Claudio Abbado, Vienna Philharmonic

12:45

Etudes Book 3 : II Pour Irina

Pierre-Laurent Aimard

4:04

IV Canon

Pierre-Laurent Aimard

1:31

I. Introitus

Berlin Philharmonic, The London Voices, Terry Edwards, Jonathan Nott, Margriet van Reisen, Caroline Stein

5:39

II. Kyrie

The London Voices, Terry Edwards, Berlin Philharmonic, Margriet van Reisen, Caroline Stein, Jonathan Nott

6:35

Clocks and Clouds

Reinbert de Leeuw, Asko Ensemble, Cappella Amsterdam, Schönberg Ensemble, Daniel Reuss

14:27

Melodien

Ligeti Project, Schönberg Ensemble, Reinbert de Leeuw

13:02