Sometimes you come across the music of a composer, and you struggle to find a way in. I found that with the Hungarian-Austrian composer György Ligeti. He was a hugely important avant-garde composer and wondrously innovative and influential. However, his music was not for me, no matter how hard I tried to keep an open mind and be eclectic.
And then… a friend sent me his Six Bagatelles for wind quintet composed in 1953, and from the opening few bars I found a way in – witty, playful, and so skillfully put together – minimum number of notes, maximum effect. It was worth persevering!
- Allegro con spirito – a rollercoaster using a rhythmic/melodic cell, alternating major and minor, with mildly hilarious Horn eruptions towards the end.
- Rubato, lamentoso – more chromatic, dissonant, and a bit spooky with what sounds like a train whistle or bell clanging
- Allegro grazioso – a beautiful flute melody over clarinet and bassoon accompaniment in septuplets which is shared and developed across the parts
- Presto ruvido – a slightly Bartókian feel – enjoy the stopped Horn
- Adagio, mesto – this has an almost-bagpipe feel with the drone, squeezes in the lower part, and Scotch Snaps in the melody. Or perhaps it’s an agitated cuckoo*?
- Molto vivace, capriccioso – melodic, mildly chaotic (5/8-3/4), finishing in an unexpected way.
Score:
Live performance:
The Listening Project Blog 