György Ligeti - Etude No. 8 'Fem' (audio + sheet music)

The Hungarian composer György Ligeti composed a cycle of 18 études for solo piano between 1985 and 2001. They are one of the major creative achievements of his last decades, and one of the most significant sets of piano studies of the 20th century, combining virtuoso technical problems with expressive content, following in the line of the études of Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt, and Claude Debussy, but addressing new technical ideas as a compendium of the concepts Ligeti had worked out in his other works since the 1950s.

There are 18 études arranged in three books or Livres: six Études in Book 1 (1985), eight in Book 2 (1988--1994), four in Book 3 (1995--2001). Ligeti's original intention had been to compose only twelve Études, in two books of six each, on the model of the Debussy Études, but the scope of the work grew because he enjoyed writing the pieces so much. Though the four Études of Book 3 form a satisfying conclusion to the cycle, Book 3 is in fact unfinished, in that Ligeti certainly intended to add more, but was unable to do so in his last years, when his productivity was much reduced owing to illness. The Études of Book 3 seem generally calmer, simpler, more refined in technique than those of Books 1 and 2.

This etude is based on chords of the open fifth, with short, irregular, asymmetrically grouped melodic fragments playing off one another.

(Wikipedia)

Please take note that the audio AND the sheet music ARE NOT mine. Change the quality to a minimum of 480p if the video is blurry.

Original audio: I forgot the exact link, sorry.
(Performance by: Pierre-Laurent Aimard)
Original sheet music: I forgot the exact link, sorry.

[powerofalto]

Aimard is just so brilliant. This is really impressive. One wishes that there were even greater dynamic contrasts, but Aimard brings wonderful "springiness" to the piece. Thanks for posting this!

[gillespoilvet]

Thank you for this posting. Nice that wellknown and brilliant pianists like Aymard play such a confidential and difficult music, and brings it to a larger public. I really did enjoy.

[KamilKosecki]

Fantastic performed the graduation of dynamics at the end of this etude.

[KV]

Ik zou zeggen een mooie introductie tot deze muziek en de musicus is te prijzen.

[川口健太郎-me]

カッコいい曲
バルトークのミクロコスモスが更に現代的になった名品
「春の祭典」にも近い
２０世紀後半のピアノ曲を代表する名品

[enelabe]

I want to play this SO BAD but I know I won't be able to :(

[bassodivo]

is it just me or does seem quite tonal? Especially the last part at the end.

[sofi_nadsat]

Hello! I have to do an analysis about ten movement "Der Zauberlehrling" and i beg if you could send to me the score, i can´t find it anywhere. Thanks!!