Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano (Ligeti)

Analysis#

The Trio is in four movements: A performance of the piece lasts about 21 minutes. The composition explores the use of major and minor harmonies as free sonorities without following established patterns of common practice tonality. In addition, it explores the natural just intonation of the upper partials available on the horn, asymmetric Bulgarian rhythms in the second movement, and the Ligeti lamento motif in the fourth movement. The first three movements are each in a ternary form – a notable look back towards traditional forms. The final movement is an example of a passacaglia using as its ground bass a similar theme as that of the opening movement. It has been pointed out that the opening theme of the first movement is reminiscent of the opening theme of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 26, “Les Adieux”.

Further reading#

• Bae, Jae-hyi (배재희). 2009. “리게티의 후기음악에서의 리듬구조 연구” Rhythmic Structure in the Late Music of György Ligeti . Ihwa eum’ag nonjib/Ewha Music Journal 13, no. 2:113–37.
• Delaplace, Joseph. 2004. “Le jeu de la mémoire et de l’invention dans le Trio pour cor, violon et piano de György Ligeti”. Musurgia: Analyse et pratique musicales 11, no. 3 (Musique et pouvoir): 73–99.
• Dibelius, Ulrich. 1984. “Ligetis Horntrio”. Melos 46, no. 1:44–61.
• Diederichs-Lafite, Marion (ed.). 1993. “Tag des Musikgesprächs”. Österreichische Musikzeitschrift 48, no. 12 (December): 621–39.
• Josel, Seth F. 2006. “Vertikaler und horizontaler Raum: Tonhöhen- und Intervallbeziehungen im dritten Satz Alla marcia von György Ligetis Horntrio”. MusikTexte: Zeitschrift für Neue Musik, no. 111:61–63.
• Taylor, Stephen A. 2004. “Passacaglia and Lament in Ligeti’s Recent Music”. Tijdschrift voor muziektheorie 9, no. 1 (February): 1–11.
• Thelander, Kristin. 1999. “György Ligeti’s Trio”. The Horn Call: Journal of the International Horn Society 30, no. 1 (November): 43–46.

Listening#

• Recording Horn Trio: Andantino con tenerezza – Helen Kim, violin; Robert Patterson, horn; Adam Bowles, piano Luna Nova New Music Ensemble
• Recording Horn Trio: Vivacissimo molto ritmico – Helen Kim, violin; Robert Patterson, horn; Adam Bowles, piano Luna Nova New Music Ensemble
• Recording Horn Trio: Alla Marcia – Helen Kim, violin; Robert Patterson, horn; Adam Bowles, piano Luna Nova New Music Ensemble
• Recording Horn Trio: Lamento Adagio – Helen Kim, violin; Robert Patterson, horn; Adam Bowles, piano Luna Nova New Music Ensemble