List of Figures

1. Example of independent two-voice writing: J. S. Bach, Das Wohltemperierte Klavier Vol.1, Fugue N.10 BWV855
2. Example of linked voices in a three-voice, fast tempo, instrumental fugue: J. S. Bach, Das Wohltemperierte Klavier Vol.1, Fugue N.21 BWV866
3. Example of linked voices in a four-voice, slow tempo, instrument-non-specified fugue: J. S. Bach, Die Kunst Der Fugue, Contrapunctus XIX BWV 1080
4. According to Ligeti music history's first atonal piece: F. Chopin Sonata N.2 in B-flat Minor, Fourth Movement ``Presto''
5. According to recent research the fastest notes we can distinguish as individual elements
6. F. Chopin Prelude N.24 in D Minor. One of the fastest scales a pianist has to play...
7. I. Stravinsky Trois Mouvements de Pétrouchka III. La Semaine Grasse
8. I. Stravinsky Trois Mouvements de Pétrouchka I. Danse Russe
9. Schematic representation of the perception of musical events as Koenig and Ligeti experimented on them at the Cologne studio
10. Pièce électronique N.3. Fragment of the ``score''.
11. Symbolic representation of the usage of the total sound-space
12. Example of a simple Markov chain transitions table. The first line read as: ``there is a 0.25 chance (25%) that the element a changes to (or will be followed by the) element b''
13. I. Xenakis Drawings for the strings glissandi in Pithoprakta
14. I. Xenakis Score (Pithoprakta) form the drawing above.
15. G. Ligeti Atmosphères, Violin I-1, Bar:44. Despite being only one component of the 48-voice polyphony, this line of the number one of the first violins still shows a clear melodic structure.
16. Cello section, 1 to 10 Bar:44
17. Motif widely used by Ligeti in many of his pieces.
18. String Quartett N.1, First Movement, bars:7-8
19. Motif B.A.C.H. very widely used in the music history
20. Atmosphères Sample microstructure. Bars: 44-46 Violins I-1 to I-6
21. Motion of the violins I and II (14 + 14, 28 solo parts). Bars: 44-45. A general descending motion.
22. Overview of bars 44-45. Strings section all solo 48 parts. Violins I and II are in descending motion while violas and cellos are ascending. At the point where the graph ends the ascending motion of the violas and cellos parts will extend to the violins.
23. A sketch drawing of the evolution from bar 44 to 49. It should be noted that the widening of the boxes is to represent an augmentation in the density of the parts
24. Bars: 44-47. Cluster notation shows that there is only a few significant shiftings in ranges.
25. Some rhythmical Resultants according to the Schillinger System of Musical Composition[6]
26. String Quartett N.2, First Movement, bar: 43. Uneven subdivisions of the beat.
27. Sample rhythms of the Violins II and Viola parts
28. Atmosphères Time-intensity view of the complete piece.
29. View of the section analyzed. After the stopping of the cluster in the double-basses the 48-voice polyphony builds up a big crescendo.
30. Sonogram view of the micropolyphonic section. Darkened areas show a condensation in the high frequencies at those times when several instruments are playing ponticello.
31. Spectral view of the same section. The jagged area also shows the increase in ponticello playing.

Abstract:

This essay investigates the idea of micropolyphony introduced by György Ligeti and analyzes a section (bars: 44-53) of Atmosphères for Large Orchestra (1961).

The usage of a high number of distinct individual parts in such a way that their individual motions can not be distinguished anymore but an overall dense and composite structure is then heard instead is the most basic definition of micropolyphony.

Micropolyphony is used in many of Ligeti's works^0.1 but it's most extended application can be seen in Atmosphères for Large Orchestra (1961); specially at bars: 23-29 and 44-53. The section extending form bar 44 to 53 will be the main subject of this study^0.2.

This section is examined from the points of view of orchestral performance issues, conductor and instrumentalists, possible alternate score-writing options^0.3.

The resulting musical texture's spectral and sonogram images as well as the resulting chord-cluster formations, interval and rhythmical structures of the section and their evolutions will be also scrutinized.

Polyphony and perception, the saturation of the aural perception are examined.

The micropolyphony's roots are sought after in Ligeti's and other composers work in the electronic music research laboratories.

The process's expansion in today's Granular Sound Synthesis and other spectral sound creation and manipulation techniques are shortly investigated.