Gyorgy Ligeti - 10 Pieces for Wind Quintet (1968)

In the 1960s, György Ligeti was becoming increasingly well-known for his characteristic “liquid” sound, achieved through so-called micro-polyphony, i.e. dense interweaving of many individual voices. By the end of the decade, however, he started looking for a way to escape this pigeon-hole, moving towards music that would pair timbral considerations with distinct melodies and replace gradual transformation with more dramatic structures and contrasts. Ten Pieces for Wind Quintet hails from this transitional phase: dense and virtually static soundscapes co-exist with much more forceful and eventful elements. The cycle alternates between pieces in which the quintet plays very cohesively and pieces in which one of the instruments comes close to playing a solo part. To the last note of the score, Ligeti appended a quote from Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll: “… but–” There was a long pause. “Is that all?” Alice timidly asked. “That’s all,” said Humpty Dumpty. “Good-bye.” (Matěj Kratochvíl) Played by the Eclectet Wind Quintet: Sho Kato, flute Jillian Honn, oboe Sammy Lesnick, clarinet Ivy Ringel, bassoon Thea Humphries, French horn