Natasha Marin. Analysis of Gyö rgy Ligeti’s Etude No.

11 “En Suspens” 1

György Ligeti. Etude No. 11 “En Suspens”

Ligeti is rightfully considered one of the most influential composers of the 20 th

century and the importance of his etudes for the piano repertoire is difficult to

overestimate.

Written between 1985 and 2001, 18 Etudes is arranged in 3 books. Book 1 was

composed in 1985 and consists of six etudes. Book 2 written between 1988 and

1994 has eight etudes, and Book 3 written between 1995 and 2001 has only four

etudes. Originally Ligeti planned to complete only two books with six etudes in each

(modeled after Debussy’s Etudes), but later expanded it to three books, though he

was unable to write the last two Etudes for Book 3 due to health issues.

There are profound connections between Ligeti’s etudes and Debussy’s etudes that

are apparent on many levels. Both composers chose to write in the genre of etude to

present new technical challenges to the pianists of their eras, but at the same time

created pieces of the highest artistic quality. Debussy’s etudes, written in 1915 are

considered his late masterpieces. Ligeti’s etudes, written in the last decades of his

life were called the “crowning achievement of his career”. Both composers proved

the relevance of this traditional piano genre and its adaptability to the new era-

Debussy for the 20th century, and Ligeti for the 21st.
Natasha Marin. Analysis of Gyö rgy Ligeti’s Etude No. 11 “En Suspens” 2

In his etudes, Ligeti summarized many of his compositional and aesthetic principles

by ingeniously developing, reorganizing, and synthesizing old and new Western

techniques and multi-cultural influences.

Each of Ligeti’s etudes represents a technical challenge and an image expressed in

the name or poetic description (just as Debussy’s etudes did).

Etude No. 11 “En Suspens” (In Suspense) requires complete independence of hands

to simultaneously weave intricate, delicate, and elegant polyphonic lines. The same

mood is retained throughout the etude, with no major changes in tempo or

dynamics. “En Suspens” allows us to recognize familiar motivic, tonal, and

organizational elements, which are seen through a prism of polyrhythmic and

polymodal complexity to produce an astonishingly innovative effect.

Form and organization.

This etude can clearly be divided into three sections. The first is mm. 1-17, the

second is mm. 18-26 and the last one is mm. 27-35.

The first section is based on a juxtaposition of material in the right and left hands.

The right hand is in 6/4 time signature, the five flats key signature implying Db

major/bb minor with an omitted pitch C and clear phrasal structure and cadential

points. The theme is reminiscent of Debussy’s Claire de lune- same key signature,
Natasha Marin. Analysis of Gyö rgy Ligeti’s Etude No. 11 “En Suspens” 3

suspended parallel thirds, and a gentle and calm but detached melody. The first

phrase is mm. 1-4 consisting of three uneven length motives ending with a half

cadence in Db. The rhythmic grouping is by quarter (1) and half notes (2): 1 1 1 2 2

2 ; 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2; 1 1 1 2. This rhythm is repeated in the next three phrases. The

second phrase, mm. 5-9, is similar to the first, but ends on Bb. Then both phrases are

repeated one octave lower than the first time. The melody moves in two voices,

forming parallel intervals at the ends of the phrases. All intervals are rather equally

distributed throughout the section, with the exception of the 7 th, which only appears

once per phrase. The cadential points of each phrase end on the interval perfect

fifth.

At the same time, the left hand part uses a diatonic collection with the omitted pitch

F. It has no tonal center until the very end of the section, which ends with a plagal

cadence in a minor. The left hand part has two voices which mostly avoid the

interval 6th and join into unison at the end of the section. The left hand is written in

12/8 time signature; but in the right hand, the time signature is more relevant,

while in the left hand, it is just a formality (what Ligeti himself called “Optical aids

for the notation”). The left hand part is organized by a rhythmic pattern of 3 (dotted

quarter notes) and 6 (dotted half notes or tied dotted quarter notes) moving across

the bar lines and against phrasing of the right hand. The pattern is 6 3 3 3 3 6 3 3 6.

It is repeated three and a half times and ends in the middle of the third phrase of the

right hand. After that, new elements in the left hand (dotted eighth notes and

glissando scales) form a closure for the first section.

Natasha Marin. Analysis of Gyö rgy Ligeti’s Etude No. 11 “En Suspens” 4

Though the collections of the right and left hands are complimentary and combined

together create complete saturation of 12 pitches, all other elements point to the

idea of juxtaposition. The time signatures, rhythmic patterns, phrasing, and voicing

reinforce the dominance of linear organization. Sustaining independent

development in each hand’s parts is the main technical challenge of this etude.

The second section starts in m. 18. For the first time there appears to be some unity

in the two hands parts. The rhythmic emphasis is placed on the first beat in each

hand and the melodic material is very similar, based on descending motives.

However, in the 5th phrase, mm. 18-20, the left hand is clearly outlined in a minor,

while the right hand continues in implied b flat minor. The next, 6 th phrase starts in

m. 21 with a transposition in both hands. The key signature switches between the

hands, while the motivic material remains the same as in the previous measures.

But it continues to develop into a longer phase ending in m. 26. The rhythmic

pattern in the left hand of this section is 3 3 3 3 6 3 3 6 6 (5 th phrase), and in the

longer 6th phrase, it is repeated twice.

The last section of the etude is divided into two parts. The first is mm. 27-30 (7 th

phrase), and the second is mm. 31-35 (8 th phrase). This section is a variation on the

first one. The performer is required to maintain the same gentle and elegant

character of the music while being able to project the continuous melody over four

and five measures of long phrases. The technical challenge becomes even more

difficult. Each hand remains in its separate key, and the rhythm becomes even more
Natasha Marin. Analysis of Gyö rgy Ligeti’s Etude No. 11 “En Suspens” 5

complicated as well. Rhythmically this section is based on a hemiola. The two

measure groups form a pattern of two or four eighth notes in the right hand against

three eighth notes in the left hand, which unite into two over two and four eighth

notes at the end of every other measure.

RH 2 2 2 4 4 2 2 2 4

LH 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2

The melodic material is derived from the first section, but it is polyphonically more

complex. The texture of the first and the last sections is in four voices. But in the

beginning of the etude, the two voices in each hand were unified. Here all four voices

are rhythmically independent. The quarter note melody in the top voice of the right

hand starts at the same time as the first measures of the piece. In the left hand, the

quarter note melody moves around the eighth note groups. Neither the eighth note

groups’ nor the quarter note melodic lines’ accents match until the last three pulses

of every other measure.

The last phrase is mm. 31-35. It starts from a transposition of the material from the

previous phrase and an exchange of the key signatures between the hands (like we

saw in the second section). In m. 31, the melodic line of the right hand takes on

characteristics of the left hand in the previous two measures, and the motives

become more disjunct and move around eights notes groups.

Mm. 31, 32 repeat the rhythmic pattern of the previous phrase. Mm. 33-35 form a

final conclusion. The melodic line in both hands moves higher and higher, and the

dynamics increase from piano to forte (for the first time in the whole etude), and

each rhythmic pulse in the left hand is divided into faster groups. But this increase
Natasha Marin. Analysis of Gyö rgy Ligeti’s Etude No. 11 “En Suspens” 6

of energy lasts less than two measures, and in m. 35, the dynamics and tempo

decrease. The last measure brings unexpected surprises. The right hand plays a d

minor five finger pattern followed by D#-A#-C# chord. In the left hand part, five

flats are replaced by sharps. The five finger pattern outlined in the left hand is f#

minor. Similar to the previous cadential points of this etude, m. 35 uses succession

of P5s on F#, D, and B. Put together, they form a B-D-F#-A-C# chord, while the last

chord of the piece is B-D#-F#-A#-C#. The last measure brings rhythmic and

harmonic unity. Both hands are playing ascending five finger patterns in equal

eighth notes. The juxtaposition present throughout the etude of the implied Db

Major in the right hand and a minor in the left hand is replaced by sharps in both

hands sharing a 9th chord on B. This chord also brings the two pitches avoided

throughout the piece: F in a diatonic collection and C in a five flats collection. But

they appear in the last chord as F# and C#, unifying both hands parts in one

harmony.

Ligeti’s etudes in general, and in “En Suspens” in particular, represent the

composer’s great contribution to solo piano repertoire. While Ligeti’s style is very

distinct, it incorporates many techniques used by other 20 th century composers, and

assimilates different aspects of Western European tradition. It also uses elements of

other musical cultures. Besides similarities to Debussy already mentioned, technical

ideas of Ligeti’s etudes are rooted in Czerny’s exercises and continue the line of the

romantic etudes. Ligeti’s harmonic language has ties to African and South Asian

tuning. His experimentation with modes is similar to that of Messiaen, and his use of
Natasha Marin. Analysis of Gyö rgy Ligeti’s Etude No. 11 “En Suspens” 7

polymodality is very similar to some of Bartok’s or Britten’s works. The inclusion in

the last measure of the pitches in “En Suspens” that were omitted throughout the

piece is similar to Schoenberg’s op. 19. Ligeti’s famous rhythmic complexity has

many inspirations. His use of rhythmic patterns transcending measure divisions

(similar to Messiaen) is derived from the 14 th century European polyphony and

traditional music of sub-Saharan Africa. The rhythmic patterns based on hemiola

are developed from similar patterns in the works of Chopin and Schumann. Ligeti

also used Gamelan inspired rhythmic techniques that later influenced Steve Reich

and other minimalists.

But unlike John Cage, who chose to bring innovations in the form of prepared piano,

or piano as a prop for a conceptual art form (in his 4’33’’), Ligeti showed the

potential of the traditional use of the instrument. As the piano developed over the

centuries, so did the repertoire designed to improve and showcase pianists’

technique. The first pillars of concert style piano etudes were works by Liszt and

Chopin, which demonstrated the ability of the 19 th century instrument. Next was

Debussy’s Etudes, deeply rooted in the pianistic tradition of the previous century,

but expressing innovations and challenges for the 20 th century. The level of Ligeti’s

technical and artistic mastery makes his etudes the next pillar, opening the door to

this genre into the 21st century.