Pitch-class analysis: Some aspects of IC5 and IC1 design in György Ligeti’s piano Études

This paper investigates pitch-class organization in György Ligeti’s piano Études, focusing on the organizational design of particular interval classes. In the etudes, IC5 and IC1 are generative in constructing materials in different dimensions and at different surface levels. Additionally, the unfolding of pitch classes initiates ascending and descending circles of fifths, at small-scale and large-scale structural levels alike, illuminating the prominence of the fifth in Ligeti’s work, which harks back to the commonpractice period. Copyright © 2014 New Sound.