7/17/20

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György Ligeti (1923-2006)

Johannes Brahms, even with his four incredible symphonies, was a master of (and is often remembered for) chamber music. His works, which included an extensive collection of songs and literature written for small groups of strings, made it clear that Brahms had a unique mastery over form and texture in the genre. Among his many masterpieces, his Horn Trio in E-flat major, Op. 40 stands out a gem, hidden only perhaps because of its unique instrumentation of violin, natural horn, and piano. Composed in 1865, Johannes Brahms had access to valved horns which could produce all chromatic notes within it range, but instead opted for the natural horn for its darker and somber tone. The instrumentation of violin, horn, and piano remained a unique staple of Brahms’ compositions up until its ‘resurgence’ in the second half of the 20th century (and into the 21st century), which likely came about as a product of the neo-classical and neo-romantic movements in music. Since then, composers such as Hans Abrahamsen, Eric Ewazen, John Harbison, Lowell Liebermann, and Charles Wuorinen have all contributed to literature written for this instrumentation, with many of which giving some nod to Brahms. This brings us to today’s piece, world-famous György Ligeti’s Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano, composed in 1982 as a companion piece to Brahms’ original work.

György Ligeti quickly rose to fame as a leading composer in the avant-garde scene which developed in the 20th century. Some of his most famous works (like his Musica recercata, Atmosphères, and Lux Aeterna) showcase everything from atonalism and micropolyphony to sonorism - complete deconstructions of traditional melody and harmony. While his earlier works display considerable influence from composers like Béla Bartók, his increasingly experimental later works brought him international acclaim as well as attention from figures like Stanley Kubrick (who used Ligeti’s aesthetic as a prominent feature in films like 2001: A Space Odyssey). Today’s piece, however, displays a different side of György Ligeti as he struggled to find direction after completing his “anti-anti-opera,” Le Grand Macabre, in 1977. At the point of completing the opera, Ligeti had moved away from sonorism in an effort to incorporate other techniques (including quotation). Such an undertaking left the composer with little direction, leading him into adopting techniques and inspiration from a diverse range of sources. I must confess that as a composer myself, I am always deeply intrigued to see how composers in history “rebound” or move past a time of great accomplishment or prolific output - which is likely part of the reason I am so drawn to Ligeti’s Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano. The piece serves as his first major work after the opera, and seems to show that in how Ligeti’s departure from previous techniques led him to a more historically-minded yet fresh approach.

György Ligeti’s Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano is marked with the subtitle “Hommage à Brahms,” but don’t let that fool you - the similarities between Ligeti’s piece and Johannes Brahms’ only go so far. Brahms’ Horn Trio showcases an innovative slow-fast-slow-fast structure in its four movements, and while Ligeti’s is also written in four movements, only the first two bear resemblance in terms of tempo. Beyond that, it may be a stretch to call Ligeti’s piece tonal in any sense, but the chamber work does show a significant change of pace from his earlier, tone-cluster charged pieces. Tonality (in the broadest sense) does play a significant part in the piece in how György Ligeti includes polymodality and major/minor triads while avoiding common practice harmonic function. Additionally, three of the four movements of the work showcase ternary form, a staple structural design for pieces written in the Classical and Romantic eras. With that, however, the similarities between Ligeti’s work and Brahms’ cease to show up. Even from the first few minutes of the piece, György Ligeti introduces a difficult soundscape: one that is full of non-intuitive rhythms and harmonies that quickly change with no distinct pattern. Sticking with the piece may be difficult, but it will reward you with an incredible picture of textural development and virtuosity. Without getting too deep into analysis, keep an eye out for Ligeti’s use of each of the three instruments’ ranges and complicated interlocking polyrhythms. All four movements feature such challenges, which serves as a challenge for the listener almost as much as it challenges the performers. My favorite movement is probably II. Vivacissimo molto ritmico, as it shows how effectively Ligeti can use an ostinato to create a texture that becomes increasingly chaotic as the piece develops. In addition to that, the movement (while not the only one to do this) brilliantly showcases the use of non-standard horn partials which stick out as out of tune - a technique which could also be another nod to Brahms’ use of the natural horn over the valved horn.

I can say with reasonable certainty that György Ligeti’s Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano will join the ranks of “hard-to-approach” pieces for many of you, and it wouldn’t be completely honest of me to say that I picked this piece without considering that. It certainly won’t stay stuck in your head like a good pop song, but I believe it is a piece that deserves at least a single listening. For as strange as Ligeti’s musical language may be, it certainly shows how composers react and build upon historical masterpieces and tradition. Below I am linking a recording which is accompanied by the score, and I am sure that watching the music go past will show just how difficult the piece is for a group of three. However, if you find yourself unsatisfied, I would like to offer you another trio for violin, horn, and piano which will certainly be more palatable. Earlier I mentioned American composer Eric Ewazen as a contemporary who wrote a piece to honor Brahms, and I must admit that the Juilliard faculty’s trio quickly became one of my absolute favorite pieces of chamber music. So after you take the time to listen to Ligeti, enjoy this beautiful neo-romantic treat: Ewazen’s Trio for Horn, Violin, and Piano, composed in 2009.