Gyorgy Ligeti

The pieces for piano/cembalo on this CD include the first two Capriccios by the 24-year-old Ligeti, the Musica ricercata, and the first volume of the legendary Études, in brilliant interpretations by the German pianist Erika Haase. Ligeti was a master in how to make tricky compositional systems appear as more than just that by inspiring them with sensual substance: that's what distinguishes the artist from the artisan. Throughout his life Ligeti kept his ears pricked up and his senses sharpened in his search for new forms of expression: "In my music you will find neither the 'scientific' nor the 'mathematical,' but instead a combination of construction and poetic-emotional imagination." It is not least those of his works that appear like a kinetic and rhythmic energy discharge, that make us hold our breath with wonder even today. In his early compositions, on the other hand, such as the Capriccio No. 1 (1947) or the Musica ricercata (1951-53), we can still hear the Hungarian father figure Bartók peeping over the composer's shoulder. And yet another reason why this CD is an absolute must-have: the stunning cembalo pieces, like the swift and droll Continuum (1968) or the Hungarian Rock (1978).