György Ligeti: 2001: beyond the odyssey
He was born in Dicszénmarton, Transilvania in 1923; a Hungarian town where the majority of the population was Jewish. He studied in the local music school and as he used to said: “since that moment, I never stop learning”. In the Second World War, his family was taken to Auschwitz and Mathausen. György and his mother only survived. After the war, he went to Budapest; but he couldn’t bear the communist regime and moved to Vienna. There, he got his first contact with music vanguards (Stockhausen, Koenig...) and experimented with electronic music. Even though he was fan of Bartok and part of the avant-garde groups, he always kept his independence on his work. However, the fact of leaving the group caused him much confrontation with various trends during his whole life. Due to his enthusiasm towards math and geometry, his music has a scientific touch. Micropolyphony is an example: In these polyphonies, every harmony is independent and gradually, it mixes with the other harmonies creating a new one.
In 1968, Stanley Kubrick used some of his pieces of work in “2001: A Space Odissey”. Ligeti sued him and asked for one dollar of compensation. He has always said that he did that because Kubrick didn’t ask permission to use it. The music was really successful and in later films, “The Shining” and “Eyes Wide Shut”, he also made use of Ligeti’s music. György Ligeti died in Viena, the 12th of June, 2006.
Ligeti by Ligeti:
After all, music is not a science.
I like very much to play the piano, but only for myself.
Cezanne is one of my favorites.
First of all I listen to music. I like music.
For the past ten years I have had no financial problems. But the money is more for the young.
If you go from Moscow to Budapest you think you are in Paris.
I know already the music I will write. But the words? I have not yet decided.
If you come from Paris to Budapest you think you are in Moscow.
Once, in London, the BBC asked me what was my favorite English book. I said Alice in Wonderland.
In 1968, Stanley Kubrick used some of his pieces of work in “2001: A Space Odissey”. Ligeti sued him and asked for one dollar of compensation. He has always said that he did that because Kubrick didn’t ask permission to use it. The music was really successful and in later films, “The Shining” and “Eyes Wide Shut”, he also made use of Ligeti’s music. György Ligeti died in Viena, the 12th of June, 2006.
Ligeti by Ligeti:
After all, music is not a science.
I like very much to play the piano, but only for myself.
Cezanne is one of my favorites.
First of all I listen to music. I like music.
For the past ten years I have had no financial problems. But the money is more for the young.
If you go from Moscow to Budapest you think you are in Paris.
I know already the music I will write. But the words? I have not yet decided.
If you come from Paris to Budapest you think you are in Moscow.
Once, in London, the BBC asked me what was my favorite English book. I said Alice in Wonderland.
