Date of Award
2015
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
School of Music
Sub-Department
Composition
First Advisor
Jesse Jones
Abstract
This document is a study of how Gestalt principles of organization are at work in “Désordre” (1985), the first etude in the first book of piano etudes by György Ligeti (1923–2006). After explaining how Gestalt principles can be applied to the analysis of music, the study presents an analysis of the etude in four main parts. The first part identifies elements of the composition that help the listener define boundaries between phrases, phrase groups, and sections. The second part discusses how foreground and background layers are articulated. The third part discusses the polytempo illusion. The fourth and final part identifies elements that contribute to large-scale unity in the composition. Finally, some pedagogical applications for teaching composition are briefly addressed.
Rights
© 2015, David William Batchelor
Recommended Citation
Batchelor, D. W.(2015). Gestalt Principles in Ligeti’s Piano Etude “Desordre”. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/3634