G. LIGETI’S WORK WITH SINGLE-TONE STRUCTURES

The article is devoted to the works of G. Ligeti of the 1950-1960s, which present the tendency of organising a composition by means of a single tone. The starting point is the question formulated by the composer: “What can I do with a single note?”, which he solves in different ways. In the earlier cycle of “Musica ricercata” Ligeti most strictly follows the chosen pitch, relies on repetitions of one tempered sound scattered over all octaves, applies a change in texture density, tempo, dynamics, register. In a later Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, the composer prefers the sonoristic interpretation of sound, its spatial form of presentation, timbre and articulation gradations. As a result, Ligeti overcomes the experimental context of using singletone sound structures, making them part of a meaningful sound concept aimed at discovering a rich microcosm of sound connections and relationships.