Ligeti – Frescobaldi trailer from Jiri Lukes on Vimeo.
Ligeti – Frescobaldi project
György Ligeti (1923 – 2006) and Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583 – 1643) may be separated by almost 300 years, but in certain aspects of their work they are very close to each other. My new recital aims to familiarize listeners with two of these ostensibly very different music worlds.
Canzoni alla Francese (1645) consists of eleven polyphonic compositions where Frescobaldi developed his imitative counterpoint style that later became the base for a baroque fugue. Usually being played on the organ, harpsichord or spinet, the sound of the accordion brings a new plasticity given by the possibility of a detail work with dynamic and articulation during performance.
Musica ricercata (1951 – 53) by György Ligeti was premiered on November 18th, 1969, in Sundsvall, Sweden. The title “ricercata” is not linked as much to the ricercar as a music form, rather it shows the effort to find new composition possibilities. Originally written for the piano, the piece consists of eleven parts with gradually growing number of tones, starting with two and going up to twelve tones of the tempered chromaticism used in the last part seen as Ligeti’s way to honor Frescobaldi. Some parts were later arranged by Ligeti for a woodwind quintet. The French accordionist, Max Bonnay, realized transcription of eight parts of the cycle, later being authorized by Ligeti and published in Schott publishing house.