Pierre-Laurent Aimard's performance suggestions are based on his close collaboration with György Ligeti.
The ‘Ligeti’s comments’ function allows you to call up his corrections, additions and explanations in the interactive score, none of which are to be found in the printed score. This critical online edition, compiled by Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Tobias Bleek, takes into account the following sources:
Pierre-Laurent Aimard on Ligeti’s performance suggestions
Suggestions from and explanations by the composer that Pierre-Laurent Aimard wrote down during their joint working sessions and reviewed for our interactive score. More information on their collaboration and the performance notes can be found in this video as well as in the section ‘Performing Ligeti’.
First page of the autograph fair score of L’escalier du diable (Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel).
Revised version of the fair score, which served as a production master for publication and is preserved today in the Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel.
Copy of the autograph fair score of L'escalier du diable, with annotations by the composer, page 1 (detail), Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel. The inscription in the right-hand margin reads 'revised MS, this is authoritative'.
A copy of the autograph fair score with Ligeti’s annotations, including handwritten corrections and addenda, particularly regarding expression marks. Notes in German and Hungarian. The first page contains the inscription ‘revised MS, this is authoritative’. (György Ligeti Collection, Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel)
Pierre-Laurent Aimard on the contrasting metronome marks for L’escalier du diable
“half-note (minim) = 108”
“half-note (minim) = 100 (tempo on Pierre-Laurent Aimard’s CD recording, prepared in collaboration with the composer)”
Source: Notes by Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Copy of the autograph fair score of L'escalier du diable, with annotations by the composer, page 1 (detail), Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel. The inscription in the right-hand margin reads 'revised MS, this is authoritative'.
“a constant effort that never leads to success”
“feeling of fruitless effort”
“Kafka: One can never enter the castle (either it's too late or you never reach it)”
“many accents”
Source: Notes by Pierre-Laurent Aimard
“Play so as to project a futile effort to make headway!”
Addendum in Hungarian: “Make the accents [tenuto marks] clearly audible (they carry the steps of the scale), the rest is background”
Source: Copy of the autograph fair score with annotations by the composer (Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel)
Bar 7-2: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 7/2, left hand, 9th – 11th quaver (eighth note)
Sources for correct version: autograph fair score, copy of the autograph fair score with Ligeti’s annotations, notes by Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Bar 36-3: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 36/3, right hand, 9th – 12th quaver (eighth note)
Sources for correct version: autograph fair score, copy of the autograph fair score with Ligeti’s annotations, notes by Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Bar 41: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 41/1, left hand, 8th – 12th quaver (eighth note)
Sources for correct version: autograph fair score, copy of the autograph fair score with Ligeti’s annotations, notes by Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Copy of the autograph fair score of L’escalier du diable, with annotations by the composer, page 6 (detail), Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel.
“KITÖRNI!” (Eng.: ‘break out!’)
Source: Copy of the autograph fair score with annotations by the composer (Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel)
Bar 45-3: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 45/3, right hand, 11th – 12th quaver (eighth note)
Sources for correct version: autograph fair score, copy of the autograph fair score with Ligeti’s annotations, notes by Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Bar 46-1a: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 46/1, right hand, 3th – 4th quaver (eighth note)
Sources for correct version: autograph fair score, copy of the autograph fair score with Ligeti’s annotations, notes by Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Bar 46-1b: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 46/1, right hand, 5th – 7th quaver (eighth note)
Sources for correct version: autograph fair score, copy of the autograph fair score with Ligeti’s annotations, notes by Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Ligeti and mathematics
The renowned mathematician Heinz-Otto Peitgen talks about his friendship with György Ligeti, the composer's interest in mathematics and the discoveries of chaos theory.
First page of the autograph fair score of L’escalier du diable (Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel).
Copy of the autograph fair score of L'escalier du diable, with annotations by the composer, page 1 (detail), Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel. The inscription in the right-hand margin reads 'revised MS, this is authoritative'.
Copy of the autograph fair score of L'escalier du diable, with annotations by the composer, page 1 (detail), Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel. The inscription in the right-hand margin reads 'revised MS, this is authoritative'.
Bar 7-2: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 7/2, left hand, 9th – 11th quaver (eighth note)
Bar 36-3: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 36/3, right hand, 9th – 12th quaver (eighth note)
Bar 41: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 41/1, left hand, 8th – 12th quaver (eighth note)
Copy of the autograph fair score of L’escalier du diable, with annotations by the composer, page 6 (detail), Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel.
Bar 45-3: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 45/3, right hand, 11th – 12th quaver (eighth note)
Bar 46-1a: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 46/1, right hand, 3th – 4th quaver (eighth note)
Bar 46-1b: György Ligeti: Étude 13, bar 46/1, right hand, 5th – 7th quaver (eighth note)
