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Kurtág's Instrumental Music, 1988–1998

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2016

Rachel Beckles Willson
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Extract

During the 20 years that followed the completion of his first vocal work, The sayings of Páter Boniemisza op.7 (1963–68), György Kurtág established himself as a composer with an exceptional aptitude for vocal writing. His compositions for voice outweigh those for instruments alone in both quantity and substance throughout this period, during which his second string quartet, Hommage à Mihály András (12 Microludes) op. 13 (1977), is a ravishingly beautiful anomaly.

Type
Research Article
Information
Tempo , Issue 207 , December 1998 , pp. 15 - 21
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

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References

1 See Walsh, Stephen: ‘An Outline Study’ I and II, Tempo 140 (1982), pp. 11–21 Google Scholar and 142, pp. 10–19.

2 Samuel Beckett Sends Word through lldikó Monyók in the Translation of lstván Siklós. (Samuel Beckett: what is the word), op.30a and 30b (1990and 1991), which is, in all respects, an exceptionally unusual work.

3 The world première was reviewed by Walsh, Stephen, and published alongside a facsimile page from the second movement: ‘Kurtág in Berlin’, Tempo 168 (1989), pp.43–45 Google Scholar.

4 In interview with Hegg, Hans, published in Muzsika, 02 1996, p. 12 Google Scholar.

5 Sketches are housed in the Kurtág Collection at the Stiftung, Paul Sacher, Basel, one of which is published in Settling New Scores, ed. Meyer, Felix, (Schott: 1997), with a commentary by Friedemann Sallis, pp. 193–95Google Scholar.

6 ‘Werkeinfuhrungen György Kurtág’, in Ligeti und Kurtág in Salzburg, Programmbuch der Salzburger Festspiele 1993, ed. Dibelius, Ulrich, (Residenz Verlag: 1993), p.77 Google Scholar.

7 Muzsika, February 1996, p. 13.

8 Ligeti, György: ‘Önarckép Pesti Muzsikustársakkal’, (short analysis of the first movement of …quasi una fantasia …) Muzsika, 02 1996, p.9 Google Scholar.

9 A term used by Kurtág for pre-existing material, ‘discovered’ in the structure of an instrument.

10 This type of ostinato structure of objet trouvé is perhaps Kurtág's equivalent of Ligeti's use of chaos theory, or Xenakis's use of stochastics: a musical structure is generated, which may then be distorted, or merely allowed to disintegrate.

11 2 Samuel 22, 5; also Psalms 18, 4. My translation replaces the Revised Standard Version's ‘waves’ with ‘sighs’ because the Latin version used by Kurtág substitutes gemitus, literally sighs or groans, for Funes. Peter Hoffmann, who gives a detailed etymology of the verse, points out that this version of the Bible was used in Gregorian Chant and that Kurtág's cello ‘setting’ imitates chant, while suggesting sighs or groans in quarter tones. (See ‘Kurtág's, idee des “komponiertes Programms’”, Neue Berlimsche Musikzeltung Heft 2, 1994, p.44.)Google Scholar

12 Pracludium, from Praeludium and Chorale for piano (published in Játékok [Games] V) and ‘Farewell’ from Requiem for the Beloved op.26 (1982–87).

13 As footnote 6, p.74.

14 The New Music Studio was an experimental music group in the 1970s, to which Kurtág always gave his support, and in which he took a great interest.

15 The Zürich Dialogue (1991), Pillantás a túlvilágra [Glimpse of the world beyond] (1992). Both unpublished.

16 Mémoire de Laïka (1990).

17 The ‘second series’ of Játékok was begun in 1979, of which Volumes V and VI are available so far.

18 This came across to me very forcefully when 1 was his student in Budapest 1992–93. His now legendary teaching is described by members of the Arditti String Quartet in ‘Hidden Meanings’, The Strad 102, (1991) p.706 Google Scholar, and by Griffiths, Paul in ‘The Voice that must articulate…’, New Hungarian Quarterly 36, (Winter 1995), pp.141–144 Google Scholar.

19 Utolosó utáni beszélgetés Kovács Zsuzsával [A conversation with Zsuzsa Kovács after the final one], violin and piano, unpublished.

20 His Herdecker Eurltythmie op.14 (1979) provides, in its title, one example of his interest.

21 This was originally conceived for a single 'cellist with two bows (a technique developed by the piece's dedicatee, Frances-Marie Uitti); The subtitle ‘The Answered Unanswered Question’, which refers to lves, is another reference to thought about musical ‘space’. It can be included within a performance of Signs, Cames and Messages.

22 A thorough analysis of this work and its genesis has been published: Hoffmann's, Peter “Post-Webernsche Musik?”, Musiktheone 7, 02 1992, pp.129–148 Google Scholar; see also Bye's, Anthony ‘Brief Office’, The Strad 102 (1991), pp.704–5Google Scholar.

23 Kroó, György: A magyar zeneszerzés 25 eve [25 years of Hungarian Music], (Zenemükiadó 1971), p.88 Google Scholar. Szervánszky's, Serenade and Six Orchestral Pieces are discussed by Ferenc Halrny in Tempi) 88 (1969), pp.2–7, with a full score extract from the orchestral pieces. In the same issue of Tempo, devoted to ‘Hungarian Composers Today’, Kurtág himself is briefly considered by János Kárpáti in ‘Some trends among younger composers’Google Scholar.

24 As footnote 6, 9.73.

25 Ibid.