Analyzing Ligeti’s Étude No. 11: En Suspens

Authors

William R. Durham, Gettysburg CollegeFollow

Class Year

2021

Document Type

Student Research Paper

Date of Creation

Spring 2020

Department 1

Conservatory of Music

Abstract

Using the tools of post-tonal music theory, we analyze Gyorgy Ligeti's Etude No. 11, one of a series of etudes written to present piano students with technical and compositional challenges. As listeners, we clearly experience a feeling of suspense and constant uneasiness. To find out why, we must dig deep into the structure of the piece. Considering pitch class content, the role of meter, rhythm, and phrase-shaping, and development, this analysis reveals a complicated mathematical arrangement behind the auditory experience.

Comments

Written for Music 242: Music Theory IV.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Durham, William R., "Analyzing Ligeti’s Étude No. 11: En Suspens" (2020). Student Publications. 823.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/823