An Eclectic Analysis of

“György Ligeti – Chromatische Phantasie (1956)”

for solo piano

by Elliot Sneider

The purpose of this paper is to analyze a particular piece of music, “Chromatische

Phantasie” by György Ligeti, using an eclectic analysis technique which incorporates historical

research, theoretical analysis, and open listening interpretation. There are ten steps taken to

compile the analysis: 1)Historical Background, which incorporates research into the background

of the composer and the piece; 2) Open Listening, which is an unbiased listening of the piece

with reflection; 3)Syntax, which incorporates partial transcription, tonal analysis, and structural

analysis of the music; 4)Sound in Time, which is an analysis of the time, in seconds, over which

the piece is displayed; 5)Representation, which incorporates a historical analysis of the particular

influences on the composer at the time of the composition; 6)Virtual Feeling, which is a stream

of consciousness reflection on the emotional aspects of the piece; 7)Onto-Historical World,

which is a creative interpretation of the musical meaning; 8)Open Listenings, which is a

reflection on multiple open listenings; 9)Performance Guide, which delineates suggestions for

performance; 10)Meta-Critique, which is a final reflection on the analysis.

1. Historical Background

György Ligeti (1923) was born in Romania to Hungarian Jewish parents. His family

returned to Hungary soon after György was born, to the city of Cluj, which is where he would for

live the rest of his childhood. In his late teens Ligeti studied at the conservatory in Cluj, but his

studies were interrupted by the onset of World War II. In 1943 he was sent into forced labor until

the end of the war. His family was broken up; his brother was sent to the Mauthausen

concentration camp, and his parents were sent to Auschwitz. György and his mother were the

only survivors. Following the war, György returned to his studies in Budapest, and following

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graduation went on to do field research on Romanian folk music. In 1950 he began to teach

harmony and counterpoint at the Liszt Academy in Budapest. He would teach there until fleeing

to Vienna after the Hungarian revolution in 1956.

In Vienna, Ligeti developed his compositional style by incorporating the new styles of

Western musical composition that were hidden from him under the government of Hungary. He

became interested in the electronic music of Karlheinz Stockhausen and other avant-garde

composers of the time. His electronic piece “Articulations” (1958) and the orchestral piece

“Apparitions” (1959) attracted critical acclaim, and set him off on the path of international

recognition. He would continue to explore these styles, while creating his own personal style that

he had been fostering since the early 1940’s. His style was one of dense sound and unique timbre

created through creative use of colors, chromatisism, counterpoint, and instrumentation. He

would continue to explore these sounds throughout the 1960’s. His music reached a worldwide

audience when Stanley Kubrick used selections from “Lux Aeterna” (1966), “Atmosphéres”

(1961), and “Requiem” (1965) in his groundbreaking classic science-fiction film “2001: A Space

Odyssey”. In the 1970’s, Ligeti began to explore more melodic, transparent works, as well as

creating a few comedic works such as “0’ 00” ”, making fun of John Cage’s “4’33” ”, and the

opera “Le Grande Macabre”. In the 1980’s Ligeti wrote many intricate piano pieces, such as

Piano Concerto (1988) and Piano Etudés Books 1&2 (1985).1

Close interval clusters and aggressive rhythms, combined with complex contrapuntal

movement define Ligeti’s music. Although early in his career he explored 12-tone composition,

most of his work contains elements of tonalism often shadowed by bi-tonal clusters and

soundscapes. This can be heard his choral piece “Éjszaka (Night)”, which begins with a chord

built on all notes of a C-major chord, giving the impression of harmony and dissonance at once.

Structure and development is very important in his works, but the sound always comes first in

his music. It has been said about Ligeti:

Ligeti doesn't ever try your patience. Few composers are so attuned

to their audience's concentration threshold." The Independent

(London), December 1996

1 http://www.sonyclassical.com/artists/ligeti/bio.html

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2. Open Listening

As a result of several open-listenings of Chromatische Phantasie, the following thoughts

and ideas came about:

The work is melodic and rhythmically complex, obviously atonal, and possibly 12-tone based.

There is an extremely strong pulse present at times, and at other times there is no pulse at all.

Each hand is starkly separate from the other, whether rhythmically, spatially, or both. There are

many pauses and silences, and the piece is constantly shifting in tempo and speed of notes. The

piece starts with a melodic opening, which is interrupted by clusters. A conversational section

follows where the high and the low pitches in clusters alternate as if speaking to one another,

which is then interrupted by a rhythmic middle voice. This erupts into a loud, strong low note,

played on one key in a slow pounding rhythm. The high pitches and this low pitch eventually

converge in the middle register in a huge roaring percussive climax. This is followed by a

silence. Out of the silence, a quiet chromatic melody begins in the 5 th register, descending. The

rhythmic idea tries to return, but it is unclear, and distant. The clusters return in the high register,

and the piece ends.

3. Syntax

The Chromatische Phantasie was written in 1956, and is one of the last pieces Ligeti

finished before fleeing Hungary after the revolution. Many other pieces were started during this

final year, but not completed, including a requiem, and an orchestral work. This is the only piece

Ligeti ever composed that adhered strictly to the technique of dodecaphonic writing. He never

again wrote in this style adhering to all of the rules of 12-tone writing. The piece is unpublished.2

The tempo is slow, about Quarter=60, and the beginning is very sparse. The music begins

with a strong strike on C1, which is followed by the aggregation of the row. The notes are

presented all over the keyboard. The following is the aggregate of the row, transcribed from the

recording “György Ligeti: The Complete Piano Music, Volume 1, Fredrik Ullén-Piano”:

2 Notes from György Ligeti: The Complete Piano Music, Volume 1, Fredrik Ullén-Piano, Bis-#783

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Figure 1

After analyzing this, the row that is used for this piece is C, B, Bb, A, Ab, G, Gb, F, E, Eb, D,

Db:

Figure 2

This descending chromatic row is used throughout the piece and creates either an

ascending motion (retrograde or inversion) or a descending motion (retrograde inversion). The

first minute and a half develops the row from sparse demonstrations to flurries and clusters at

fortissimo volume, climaxing with a fff staccato strike on A0, the bottom note of the piano

keyboard. This begins section “B”. This A0 is stuck 7 times, once every measure. The tempo is

still about quarter note = 50. Three A0s are struck alone, followed by the entrance of the right

hand with a descending pitter-patter of chromatic pitches, jumping back in forth between the 4th

and 5th octave on each note. The bass then moves to C#1, and the right hand plays the same

pattern down in the 2nd and 3rd octave. It then jumps up to the higher octaves again, and the bass

jumps as well, up to cluster E1 & F1. The rhythm is speeding up with each jump. The bass then

jumps to what sounds like C#2 , B2 and C3 cluster chord. The right hand now plays a rhythmic

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figure cluster against this cluster in the bass. Its tempo speeds up and the volume increases until

silence. The left hand then takes up another steady pulse on C2 and B1 in eighth notes. This is

called section “C”. The right hand contrasts after the first 10 strikes with four strikes of A3 and

Bb4:

Figure 3

The left hand continues the unaffected staccato chord as the right hand switches between

the aggressive clusters and the skipping octave pattern. The left hand rhythm ends as the right

hand starts to play some triplet rhythms. The piece then collapses into heavily sustained, loud,

quickly repeating clusters covering the entire range of the piano, creating a thick texture focused

around Octave 3 and climaxing at full volume and speed before a sudden stop and silence for 8

seconds as the pedal has been lifted but the remnants of the sound fade away.

Section “D” begins with the beginning of the chromatic row starting on D5. This is tender

and melodic, but is interrupted by the repeated pattern again in the bass:

Figure 4

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The interruption loses steam, and the piece ends with clustered aggregates of the

chromatic row, finishing in octave 6 clustered E, Eb, D:

Figure 5

This chart shows the time and characteristics of the five sections. Notice the symmetry of

the rhythmic analysis (bottom row):

Figure 6A B C D E

0:00-1:30 1:30-2:10 2:10-3:06 3:06-4:28 4:28-5:35

Aggregate, building in volume and

density

A0 strike, pitter over rising strikes in left

hand

Rhythmic left hand cluster, exfoliation in

right hand of clusters, leaping

octave lines

Soft melodic aggregate,

interrupted by left hand cluster, slowing

down

Ending aggregate, clusters, spread

over low B1

Sparse, building in speed and

density

Slow rhythm Very rhythmic Slowing rhythm Sparse

4. Sound-in-Time (This will reference the sections as delineated in the partial transcription at the end

of this paper.)

Section ‘A’ is very sparse, with the notes spread out as much in time as they are in space.

The most relevant and revealing temporal unit to discuss would be the aggregate. The aggregate

takes 24 seconds to be displayed the first time. This can be seen in figure one. It is immediately

repeated in 7 seconds and then repeated again, this time taking almost 20 seconds. The next

measures use repetition of notes to extend the aggregate for another 20 seconds although the

pitches are happening in smaller note values. The next time it take 7 seconds again, and then 3

seconds, and then 2 seconds, and then it seems to happen two or three times in one second before

crashing down to the A0 to begin section ‘B’.

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In Section ‘B’ the time slows down because of the bass note, but the right hand come in

with 16th notes playing the aggregate. There are two distinct tempos going on, and the bass

speeds up slowly to match the right hand tempo, which also keeps speeding up. This continues

until section “C”, where the bass sets the tempo and the right hand plays in tempo with it. The

aggregate is slowly displayed at first, speeding up until the climax at the end of the section of a

flurry of notes and clusters, leading to silence.

Section “D” begins with the first four notes of the aggregate displayed immediately, but

eventually takes an entire minute to display the entire aggregate. This is followed by section “E”

which takes 30 seconds for the next aggregate and 25 seconds for the final aggregate. The last

chord does not make up the final aggregate. It is unfinished.

There is an overall ebb and flow to the rhythm. It starts slow, speeds up, slows back

down, and continues like this, until the climax at the end of section “C”. It seems as if the left

hand is constantly trying to slow things down as the right hand is trying to break free from the

rhythm.

5. Representation

The piece is called Chromatische Phantasie because of the chromatic nature of the 12-

tone row. There is no obvious representation dictated by the title although it is wise to take into

account the non-musical definition of the word Phantasie (fantasy) in context of Ligeti’s being in

the Hungarian communist state. One would imagine that the ability to fantasize would be

crucial for someone who found himself repressed by the policies of the government and was

preparing to escape the regime.

1956, the year this piece was written, and the year that Ligeti fled Hungary for Vienna,

was also the year of revolution in Hungary. After the death of Stalin in 1953 and the rise of

Khrushchev in Russia, Hungary’s government went through many changes in leadership and

many conflicts with its citizens. Russia installed a new leader in Hungary in 1953, Imre Nagi. He

was forced from power in 1955, and a weak economic system and government instability led to

chaos, culminating in strikes and an organized protest where the security forces fired upon

Budapest students. Russia stepped in, making Nagy prime minister, and making Janos Kadar

party first secretary. The Hungarian leader Nagy dissolved the state security system, abolished

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the one party system, promised free elections, and negotiated to separate Hungary from the

Warsaw Pact and Russian rule. He called to the West for help as he withdrew from the Warsaw

pact. Western support failed to come, and Russia came back in with force. Kadar defected to

Russia. Nagy was captured and Kadar returned with the support of the Russian government to

form a new government. He executed or imprisoned thousands of citizens.3 Nagy and many of

his associates were secretly tried and hung, others transported to the Soviet Union. Before Kadar

returned however, over 200,000 refugees escaped to the West. Many of those who escaped were

of Hungary’s educated classes, including Ligeti.4 This was one of the final pieces Ligeti

completed before he fled.

6. Virtual Feeling

The opening of section “A” is introspective, calm, but also full of trepidation and fear. As

it continues, there is a rising tension, anger, and emotional conflict. The appearance of ever

tighter clusters give the feeling of trying to hold in the emotions, while the leaping released right

hand motives are like the emotions that escape the bind. This leads to more and more frustration

and release as the clusters try to control the motives, but eventually gives way to abandon. When

section “B” begins, with the pounding 'A's, there is an instantaneous appearance of anger,

authority, and fear (silence). The right hand breaks out of that fear slowly, as the left hand gets

more jagged and tense. It rises to try to control the right hand, which leads to a violent, dramatic

pounding on the keys. Again udder abandon is abruptly cut off. This leads to section “C”, where

the steady pulse give the feeling of movement like we have not had yet in the piece. There is a

sense of hope and anticipation, albeit dark and ominous, which is dashed by the eruption of

clusters and leaps, which climax at the end of “C” in anger, frustration, resentment, and self-

loathing.

The silence is a breath, leading back to introspection. The attempt to start again is

squashed by the return of the bass rhythmic motive, which interrupts any beauty or flow that

occurs. The end is a resignation. It is unclear, distant, and retracting. The final three cluster

3 http://www.nationbynation.com/Hungary/History1.html4 "Hungary." Encyclopedia Britannica . 2003. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

06 May, 2003

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strikes are defiant, fading to relinquished hope. It is an incomplete aggregate, as if unable to

finish the final gasp.

7. Onto-Historical World

The opening of the piece is tentative and introspective. Time is halted as the chromatic

aggregate is slowly unraveled. The frustration builds as the clusters of the left hand sternly call.

The left hand takes the role of the communist party, the right of the soul trying to free itself

(Ligeti). A violent struggle ensues. Part two is the gavel of the law, strong but so far and separate

from the real world of the people, which is represented by the aggregates in the right hand: high,

fluttery, strong and uncatchable. As the party tries to catch it, they meet and the discussion

begins, but the party can only speak one thought. While the people try to get the thought to work

with them, the march of the party is not contained or affected (section “C”). This erupts into

chaos, and at the end of it is silence. The motive tries to tentatively start again, but the left hand

lets it know that it is still around. The desire fades, and with one last gasp, gives up.

8. Open Listenings

The beginning is peering, unfolding, rising and falling, emotions trying to escape, anger

darkening and taking over, the pitches descending then ascending. When section “B” starts, the

clanging bass note strikes 3 times before the right hand entrance. It then leaps up and strikes

three times again before the entrance, and then again leaps and strikes three times. “C” is so

controlled rhythmically; the tension comes from the exploring right hand and the entirely static

left, culminating in the wash of clusters at unbelievable, tension-filled speed and volume. The

reemergence after the silence is clearly sad, but does not seem tentative. It has not given up its

hope for melody, but is trying a different approach. The static left hand reappears, ready to

control any sense of movement that the right hand tries. The end is very muddy and unclear; also

quiet. It is the only time other than the chaos at the end of section “C” that the aggregate is

presented in such clustered form without any single pitches. The piece finishes with rhythm,

cluster, and the “three strikes” taking over the right hand melody, and we hear the three cluster

strikes in the 5th octave.

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9. Performance Guide

It is important to bring out the contrast between the different elements: melodic attempts,

clusters, and rhythmic static moments. This is not a unified piece. It is on the contrary a piece of

contrasts and tension created by the struggle between these elements. There is no resolution

except for the melody getting eaten by the clusters and the rhythm. The idea of ‘three’ seems to

be important, both in section “B” and the ending. Take notice of clusters of three notes and bring

out threes in the chaos at the end of section “C”. The picking up of speed should be apparent

until the silence after “C”, and this is also the moment of starkest volume contrast. The contrast

between stern control and reckless abandon should be apparent. Let the silences breath and fade,

do not cut them off.

10. Meta-Critique

The onto-historical discussion is a liberal interpretation based on the historical and

theoretical analysis of this piece, and was most likely not on Ligeti's mind when composing the

piece. In fact, Ligeti did not take this piece very seriously, even saying that it is “very naïve and

primitive” in its use of 12-tone technique5. However, it is interesting to look at Ligeti’s output of

works and to notice both the lack of clear emotional attachment of any work and the change that

occurs after leaving Hungary. Often his pieces do not use traditional techniques for conveying

emotion, and so the meaning is either provided by a title, or a lyric, and must be surmised by the

listener if at all. The fact that he never again wrote a 12-tone piece after leaving Hungary might

be interpreted to mean that the constriction of 12-tone writing was something he associated with

the repressive life under communism, and he was determined to not impose those rules on

himself once he fled to the West. Also, this being one of his final pieces written in Hungary, it is

safe to assume that he had been thinking about the possibility of escape while he was writing it.

Maybe his idea of “naïve” is the idea that emotion in music can cause any change in the

world. By escaping Hungary, he obviously gave up hope that his music could bring change to his

country, which had been filled with Nazis and Communism for his entire life. Possibly he chose

the “primitive” chromatic scale as the aggregate, a strict, unmelodic row, in order to mimic the

5 Notes from György Ligeti: The Complete Piano Music, Volume 1, Fredrik Ullén-Piano, Bis-#783

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atmosphere around him. He could then use the exploration in composing the piece to explore

how his emotions would play out if fully realized in his life. The piece is full of the “primitive”

emotion of anger, which Ligeti may believe does not have any place in solving the problems of

the world, but which he was able to fully explore in the piece. It is specifically this raw emotion

which is conveyed in this piece which makes it so compelling as a reaction to the oppressive

atmosphere of Hungary in 1955. While it is my analysis that the piece relays no sense of hope at

the end, it is possibly through the composing of this piece (or demonstrated through the piece)

that Ligeti realized the futile task of staying to fight the regime, and realized that in order to live

to his full potential he needed to venture out to find a society where he could be free to express

himself without fear.

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