Ligeti central: from Atmosphères to Violin Concerto

The Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Elena Schwarz, plays two works from different stylistic periods by György Ligeti.

Local traditions and atmospheric clouds of sound
For the Violin Concerto (1993), György Ligeti consulted folk traditions from East Asia, for the lyrical solo part also the music of his native land. By deviating from Western tuning, he creates a unique sound. Atmosphères (1961) is one of the first works in which he uses micropolyphony, in which closely moving melody lines form complex clouds of sound. It is this music that accompanies a sense-making journey through space and time at the end of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Poppe, Hirs, Langgaard and Ligeti
Enno Poppe's orchestral work Hirn (2021) is somewhat akin to the "early" Ligeti through its shifting planes of sound. He connects the brain ('Hirn') not only to thought and contemplation (the 'German tradition'), but also to the soul, trance and excitement. Rozalie Hirs is writing a new work in which she is guided by Ligeti's open, creative mindset. Hans Abrahamsen arranged the last three movements of the Gitanjali Hymns, a piano work by the Danish, late-romantic Rued Langgaard, for orchestra. Langgaard's virtually forgotten music was a great discovery for Ligeti.