Ligeti, Lux Aeterna ©

Lux Aeterna, by György Ligeti, performed by Cappella Amsterdam (directed by Daniel Reuss), with an animated graphical score. I’m grateful to Daniel Bali for providing a MIDI file for the piece (which saved me the time of entering the score by hand myself). FAQ Q: Where can I learn more about this piece? A: Here: (Ligeti) Q: Where can I learn more about the composer? A: Here: örgy_Ligeti Q: Where can I learn more about the performers? A: Here: Q: What do the colors mean? A: Colors are assigned according to pitch, in a system I call “harmonic coloring“ (since it shows changes in harmonies). You can read more about this here: You can see an overview of the score (using this coloring) here ... Q: What does this graphic show? A: Most of the music is composed of canons—passages in which each performer sings the same pitches in the same order but with different timings. The pitches of the notes in the canon are indicated by circles, and the paths through them are shown separately for each singer. The canons are punctuated at various points by chords that are more static (though also sung at different times by different performers); the pitches of these chords are outlined. When a note sung, it is indicated both by a moving shape showing its position (within a canon or chord) and by a wider background shape (to make the overall harmony easier to see). For more background on the composition, see Mattia Aisemberg’s analysis ... Q: The timing doesn’t seem very exact ... ? A: Yes, this was a hard piece to synchronize. I was able to get the timing fairly close when a new pitch appears in the texture, but when several singers are singing the same pitch at the same time, with entrances overlapping, I usually just gave up. So, I’m afraid that for a lot of it, you’ll just have to use your imagination. Q: I appreciate your work; how can I support it? A: There are several ways: free: like, subscribe, spread the word donate: click the Thanks button subscribe: underwrite: Q: Could you please do a video of _______? A: Please see this: