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TRANSFORMATION OF
COLORATION AND DENSITY
IN GYORGY LIGETI'S LONTANO
BRUCE REIPRICH
CANONIC LAYERS
Lontano can be divided into three lengthy sections (A, A', A2), each
containing (a) multiple pitch canons at the unison followed by (b)
sustained clusters, and thus represented schematically as shown below:
A A1 A2
a b a' b1 a2 b2
mm. 1-41 41-56 56-112 111-20 120-45 145-65.1
This paper, now revised, was originally delivered at the Spring 1977 Midwest
Chapter meeting of the American Musicological Society.
1 In the case of the second and third canonic sections, the advent of canonic
activity proper does not coincide with the beginning of the section but, following
a sustained sonority, starts in mm. 60 and 122, respectively.
168 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC
I shall deal here with the canonic sections only, focusing primarily on
the first of the three.
As the major generative element, canonic lines are rhythmically
complex, lack immediate rhythmic similarity to all other lines, mainly
employ motion in seconds but with some thirds and a few larger inter-
vals, and are so restricted in range that segments typically weave
around one pitch (see Ex. 1 ). Such linear definition does not exhibit
foreground traits that potentially might articulate any single line into
immediate relief. While the identity of each line is not obliterated,
such diminishing of identity, combined with the large number of
canonic parts sounding at the same time, force linearity into a mass
conglomerate and endow that linearity with a new perspective: that is,
the grouping of lines of identical pitch into unique and self-contained
layers rather than the projection of single lines. With the unique or-
chestration of each canon, the flanking of its lines by rests, and with
the differences of bowings, octave and unison doublings, and complex-
ity of part-writing between different canons, various factors of colora-
tion, time, and density also interact with pitch to delineate layers.
Even so, layers are not projected as sharply profiled events. Due to
temporal overlapping, color linkage resulting from general timbre
similarities, and duplication of pitch-order content, as for example
between Canons IV through VIII,2 the lines of each layer do not
become independent from those of preceding and succeeding layers but
rather merge with them to sound like organic continuations (see
Ex. 2, pp. 170-71).3
It seems then that the individuality of each canonic layer is never so
pronounced as to upset the predominately homogeneous character of
the mass. Nonetheless, layering provides much more than simple gen-
eration of that mass, for owing to the nature of canonic activity, all
2
Though these canons overlap considerably in respect to pitch-order content,
they are nevertheless individualized by a symmetrical process of imbrication. Start-
ing with Canon V, the lines of each canon repeat the last four notes associated with
those of the immediately preceding canon and add two new pitches a second apart.
The final canon adds seven pitches.
3 Although canonic
activity is the primary generator of the mass in the canonic
sections, not all parts are always engaged in the statement of a canonic line. Some
parts sustain only one pitch or a limited succession of pitches over a long period
of time. This pitch material may be unrelated to simultaneously presented canons
or it may result from the doubling of the entrance of canonic pitches without con-
tinuation in canonic movement. In either case, it usually functions to increase
density and is assimilated into the mass transformation without being perceived
as an individually contributing agent (see Ex. 3).
Measures:
1 10 15 20 25
* * * ? * ?? * *?
DL r Au
L l '
-
?~J;tJ 16-parts; initially Sul Tas
, '0- '
vn
VII l' LT
;Q Rar -,I^:g ? -
8-parts (plus 2 partially canonic); Unison doubling;
Sul Tasto, some Trem.; Fl., Cl., Fg., Cor., Via., Vc.
"m |
m , , :
I?~~~~~~6
>
I
>.1.
S4
'' '
I1
(b' l
I
.
'
i PI
L *I i 1'
IlJ l* I - ? ll
i .
I
I8 d~~~~~* :
'~1 I
:,.,?
~
IC~~~~~~~~~~~.
5
> 'tl D?i
r
ir? ?~~1
I y 't
IP
..-.II.?
iiIr - - -?
6
i !~ ~ ~
~~~~~~~~ i
?:
~~~~~~~~~~I
I r,
'B '
? J< ^ 5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, ?^a
i'
!__
Ex. 2 (cont.)
172 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC
DENSITY
r .. -
o;o .R
.4.> o~oo ..It- o. o - ? I
a)
Measure 11 2 3 3
(2) (2) (2) (2)
3 3 3
(2) (2) (2) (2)
1 33 3
(2) (2) (2) (2)
3 32 3
(2) (2) (2) (2)
Canon I
12 F ^"i 5 3 1 21
(2) (2) (2) (2)
3 22 22
(2) (2) (2) (2)
3 2 2 2 2
(2) (2) (2)
3 1 3 2 3
(2) (2) (2)
13 2 23 33
(2) (2) (2)
3 23 33
F (2) (3) (2)
F 1t(1)1 5 1 2 2 4
(2) (3) (2)
B --3 4 2 2 3 5
(1) (2) (1) (2)
14 4 5 3 1 1 6
_(1) (2) (1)
Canon m
E 6 5 3 1 1 6 2
(1) (1)
15 7 3 1 1 7 10 1
(1) (1)
12 8 5 6 1 7 9 2
(1) (1)
15 F t4 10 14 7 9 6 6 8 8 1
(1) (1)
2 12 9 5 6 3 9 2 7 3 2
(1) (1)
C;# 2 8 13 4 5 6 9 2 5 6 4
(1) (1) ------
2 4 12 4 5 6 10 2 2 6 4
(1) (1)
Ex. 3 Arabic numerals arranged horizontally under pitches of the staff indicate
those pitches sounded within each beat. The value of the numeral shows the num-
ber of occurrences of a pitch, including unison doublings. Numerals in parentheses
identify pitches belonging to non-canonic layers. Solid horizontal lines indicate
changes in mass pitch-class content, dotted lines show changes in octave doublings.
* * Pitch-count predominance of Ft temporarily lessened while lagging parts
and viola extension emphasize the end of Canon I.
174 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC
5 See footnote 2.
6
Ligeti does not indicate the precise size of the string section. By defining each
non-solo part as usually being performed by at least two players, and by observing
the maximal number of solo parts utilized in each string choir, I have based my
calculations of pitch-count predominance upon a string section of fourteen first
violins, twelve second violins, ten violas, ten cellos, and six basses. Variances in this
scheme may modify specifics of pitch-count predominance but will not alter the
general principle, as outlined above, of stressed pitches following the order of
canonic pitches nor any of the concepts introduced henceforth.
7 This notation indicates measure
number/beat.
TRANSFORMATIONS IN LIGETI'S LONTANO 175
Plitch-co(u1l
weight (I)y
i)itch-class)
C#
20--
1(0)
1)1
#-
2(0)
(31
15 - B1
10-
5--
- E F#
1-
20-
15-
10-
5-
1-
F# A F1# A El# \
components, the weight of Bt, C$, and D# (and the later addition of
G#) has the qualitative effect of triggering another dip to a less dense
area (mm. 19/3-20/4),8 especially since these pitch-classes are ac-
centuated further by (1) their appearance in upper register flutes
within an almost exclusively string texture, (2) the greater extent to
which all other pitches are subdued in number beginning in m. 19/3,
(3) the change from octave statements of all pitches to only these
pitches plus C,,9 and (4) the contrast of the less dense or "consonant"
character of these pitches-when sounded together-to the more dense
total mass. With the arrival of Bb in octaves in m. 21/1 coupled with
its increasing number of occurrences thereafter, the process of increas-
ing mass density is resumed. It appears, then, that the sound-mass in
Lontano is distinctively colored by a kind of qualitative/quantitative
density fluctuation that redefines "consonance" and "dissonance" as
regulated by the number of half-steps embodied within a vertical struc-
ture and by the predominance of pitches that suppress or highlight the
half-step organization.
Regulation of density at various levels, moreover, is at times a prod-
uct of cadential punctuations that involve parts of the mass or the mass
as a whole. Beginning in m. 14, the parts of Canons III and IV gradu-
ally and successively come to a rhythmic halt by m. 18, thereby fusing
their pitches with those sustained by the basses into a cadential cluster
(see Ex. 2). The deletion of clarinets 1, 2, and 3 in mm. 16-17 com-
bined with the simultaneous deletion of the violins, clarinet 4, and horns
1, 2, and 3 in m. 18 (beat 2) yield a punctuation within the cadential
cluster while other cadential parts continue to sustain their pitches until
the third beat of m. 19. But due to the stabilization of pitch within the
cadential cluster from mm. 18/1-19/2 and pitch-class content within
the mass as a whole from mm. 16/1-20/2, cadential activity here is
primarily a transformational stimulus and one which in two stages
creates a variegation, not in pitch content, but in mass coloration,
rhythm, and density resulting from changes in instrumentation, rhyth-
mic activity, and doubling, respectively. The effect is remarkably subtle.
Cadential structure is disguised by its concurrent appearance with non-
cadencing canonic lines and by the usually immediate resumption of
canonic motion in the deleted parts.
l____|~~~ ----.~ ~
|Cadence ~ ~~~ on Fb
Unison /
Ex. 5
TRANSFORMATIONS IN LIGETI S LONTANO 179
8'.
Measure30 1 11 5 3 4 5 1 4 2 8 5 3 3 4 2 4 1
1 8 5 3 3 3 1 4 2 5 3 2 3 2 4 1
1 98 3 4 3 1 4 2 6 7 3 3 3 2 4 1
1 7102 3 4 1 4 2 5 8 2 2 4 2 4 1
31 1
_ __
6 8
_ _ _ __
3 4 4
_ _ _ __ _ __ _. .. . . .
3
. . . ..
2
.. .. .. ..
5 6 3
..............................
3 4 2 _
3_ _ _
1
_ _ _ _
1 56335 12 4 2 4 4 3 2 5 2 2 4 11
Climax
of density - 1 8 6 2 5 4 123 2 6 4 2 4 4 22 3 11
accumulation 1 63344144 2 4233424 4 12
32 1 4 3 3 6 4 16 5 2 2 2 3 5 4 2 6 5 12
1 73484165 4 2 4 6 4 2 6 5 2
1 4 5 6 4 1 8 5 2 5 4 4 2 8 5 2
1 4 444194 2 4 2 4 2 8 4 4
33 1 4 444194 2 4 2 4 2 8 4 4
1 4 444 1 103 2 4 2 4 2103 4
4 4441 12 3 2 4 2 4 2 9 3 6
4 4441 11 2 2 4 2 4 2 11 2 8
and later occurrences within canonic lines and in the foreground con-
struction of a previous brass cadence (mm. 53-56), gives rise to the
ultimate appearance of the set as a sustained sonority on a distinctly
foreground level (mm. 120-22) and so reflects the gradual emergence
of textural elements as a unifying process over an extreme timespan.
Appearances of focal points are apparently governed by formal con-
siderations within a density transformation plan and by a relationship
in which foreground projections reinforce parts of the background
mass, but not by a pitch/rhythmic scheme of serialized proportions.
Long range progression, then, is engendered by extended contours of
textural space and accumulations of density while at the same time
quantitative and qualitative changes of the mass, whether regulated
by canonic activity, cadential punctuations, or space manipulations,
promote an impression of textural transformation rather than a series
of different and separable events. Ultimately, mass complexity in
Lontano does not entirely consume the contrapuntal movement nor
does the mass ever become totally homogeneous. Instead, interaction
of canonic activity perceived at a number of levels produces a con-
textual hierarchy within the mass. The structural integrity of the
180 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC