8 Bagatelles on the Name György Ligeti

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René Staar's work as a composer can be divided into several periods. The first, marked by concentration on improvisatory elements, was followed by a developmental phase of melodic and motivic structures, enriched by personal experience and the influence of Hans Swarowsky and Leonard Bernstein, among others. The chamber music pieces Jeux I Op. 1 for Violin and Viola (1976), Fantasie per 4 Viole Op. 6 (1979/80) and the string quartet Structures III Op. 7/3 (1981) show Staar searching for access to the sound cosmos of our time and to his own terms of expression. In the next period, vertical structures and the search for an encompassing harmonic system are the features common to a diversity of compositional essays. This is the time of Just an Accident ? A Requiem for Anton Webern and Other Victims of the Absurd Op. 9 (1985) to words by Alan Levy, for which Staar won the first ever Ernst Krenek Prize of the City of Vienna in 1986. While working on the composition ...ich bin es, ohne dass es mir gleicht... Op. 19 for soprano, baritone and chamber ensemble, written in 1987 to a text by Michael Cerha, Staar formulated his "Akkorddispositionstheorie" or chord realignment theory, which has since formed the foundation of his music and has led to new sound spheres: a radicalization of the musical language by strict observance of the newly established rules and a reduction to what is absolutely essential produce intensive and concise works, as for example the six sketches for string quartet Versunkene Träume Op. 22c, composed in 1993.

In the Bagatelles on the Name György Ligeti Op. 14 No. 3a for piano, two hands (1989/90 and 1995/96), the chord realignment theory undergoes further refinement. The root of these compositions consists of the letters in the name György Ligeti that correspond to notes, i.e. g-g-g-e. The interval of the minor third (e-g) is concealed in a variety of chords, forming an invisible and inaudible link with Ligeti's name. The minor third is a part of all the basic chords that form the harmonic foundation of the Bagatelles.

In the first Bagatelle, the harmony is derived from rearrangements of the intervals within the chord, producing a melodic and harmonic progression which follows its own laws. The bass line of the second Bagatelle ("in the form of a passacaglia") consists of the four notes of a basic chord distributed within a 10/8 bar. Six periods and the mirroring of their transitions determine the progress of the third Bagatelle, while in the fourth, condensation and dissolution are the dominant elements of the formal structure. The various sections of the fifth Bagatelle appear in an almost casual manner.

After a five-year break, Staar resumed work on the Bagatelles in the summer of 1995. The sixth Bagatelle places enormous demands on the performer, who must cope with rhythmic subdivisions within complex tempo relationships and develop great dynamic differentiation, especially with regard to articulation. In the seventh Bagatelle, the six-part chord is divided into its separate tones by rhythmic disintegration, and the eighth and last - Staar titles it "Broken Spectra" - expands the tempo relation rhythm evolved in the sixth Bagatelle in the most complicated way imaginable. A precise analysis by the composer, the descriptive texts and multicoloured structural tables make this edition substantially the most important in René Staar's work so far. It is the composer's intention to create in the Bagatelles a model of the practical application of his theoretical and compositional perceptions.

The Bagatelles are not only one of Staar's most significant works; they are one of the most difficult works in the whole of piano literature and provide an enormous challenge to composers and pianists as material for study. The eight Bagatelles have a total duration of 21 minutes, but they can also be played in smaller groups, while No. 6 can stand alone. The composer suggests the following groupings: Bagatelles I - IV or VI - VIII, or I-VI-II-IV, or I-VII-VIII-IV, or I-II-IV-V-VI. The performer is free to choose other combinations.

Sigrid Wiesmann
Translation: Eugene Hartzell