Györgykurtág's Microludes

Author(s): Margaret McLay

Source: Tempo, New Series, No. 151 (Dec., 1984), pp. 17-23
Published by: Cambridge University Press
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/946214
Accessed: 13-09-2019 17:45 UTC

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 GYORGY KURTAG'S
MICROLUDES

Margaret McLay

KURTAG'S MICROLUDES ARE REMARKABLE in at least two respects: firstly, som

brief as to make even Webern seem verbose in comparison, and, second
managed to create something relatively rare-a form born of the chromat
microludes are sets of 12 tiny preludes, one for each semitone. Each set m
by analogy to Bach's '48'; however, unlike the Bach pieces, the microludes a
particular tonality, but rather explore certain relationships to a particular
The very minuteness of this basic idea naturally means that the movement
unless some further organizational feature is introduced to create a more
The formula, therefore, has not solved for Kurtag the problem of comfi
single-span movement, although each 12-movement set in its entirety
more substantial whole. It has at least provided a structure which Kurtag
written four sets of microludes, three inJdtekok (Games; 1973-) a large c
pieces for children, and the Microludes for String Quartet, Hommage a Miha
1977-8).
One of Kurtag's shortest and simplest pieces is the First Microlude from the Second Set
in Games, Book II. A sustained middle C is followed by one of shorter length surrounded by
its neighbouring white-key pitches, D and B (Ex. 1):

Ex. 1

Kurtag seems to have gone even further than Webern along the path to silence, but instead
of representing a narrowing down of possibilities, Ex. 1 is, rather, the 'ultimate prelude'
opening out from C, forming the briefest of starting-points upon which to build the rest of
the set. It is, of course, rather whimsical: as the crescendo and diminuendo marks, impossible to
execute on the piano, suggest. Not all the pieces in Games are serious. Kurtag, who generally
rejects the majority of ideas that come to him when composing, decided to accept most
whilst writing Games. The pieces are, literally, entertaining games to attract the young to the
piano without requiring much keyboard technique.

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18 TEMPO

The pitch in question can sometimes act merely as the starting-point for a par
Microlude, not to be restated, as in the Second of Games, II, Second Set (Ex. 2):
J -_ I

Ex. 2 A ,,\ .

rr~D^ ^ r v i
f -mp
Less commonly
Seventh of the s
Ex.3 md

Here, F# is 'stressed' by omission. It occurs only fleetingly in the black-note glissando, and is
prepared at the end by the ever-rising semitones which bypass it by one note and then fall
back onto it.
Ex. 1-3 show transitory uses of the chosen pitch, singled out for importance only by
its initial or final position, but hardly featured as such. These represent only a small
proportion of the Microludes. By far the most common type is one where the particular
pitch plays a more important role. It might be expected that a large number of them would
be built around pedal-points, and, indeed, Kurtag does use these. But he is not a composer to
overwork any idea, nor is he content to accept obvious formulae. Therefore his pedal-point
textures are varied and not too frequent. The simplest is the Third of the First Set of
Microludes in Games, II, which consists merely ofa D repeated in various rhythms groups
and dynamics.' In the Ninth of the New Microludes in Games, III (Ex. 4), Kurtag uses the
pedal-point in a humorous little game, as the title 'Konok Asz' ('Obstinate Ab') suggests. A

Ex. 4 Pesante, con moto

9 \:l

2T
i iTi Ii iI II iI II I Ii Ii Ii Ii"I I I I I

Kurtag would regard a piece such as this, which scarcely needs a composer, as a
child is here able to concentrate upon the quality of the sound produced b
Kurtag believes this act of listening very important in the child's musical develo
allows concentration upon counting different rhythmic groups.

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 KURTAG'S MICROLUDES 19

,-K tA A n V

' ^11111111111111 > I

percussive, repeated Ab persists in the left-hand part despite the

divert it. In the end the right hand comes to a harmonious conclusio
The favoured pitch is more likely to feature as a less constant
Microludes for String Quartet is based upon D, which appears in rap
the Viola part. It then merges into a more complex ostinato as the
one by one with repeated motifs built upon the neighbou
independent rhythmic groupings. This texture, however, is not c
halted by a 3-bar central section of longer durations. The D-F# figu
stops quite suddenlyjust as the complete ostinato begins to rebuild
In some Microludes the featured pitch is merely glimpsed from
Ninth of the Second Set from Games, II, where Ab makes a
appearances between quieter, alternating patterns of neighbour
turned into another amusing little diversion in the Third M
('Labyrinthine D'), from the set in Games, III, in which the pitc
reappears apparently as the final note, only to be rudely interrupte
F#.

Kurtag's acceptance of the majority of ideas whilst composing Games even extended to
other people's! The last of the Second Set of Microludes in Book II is entitled 'Hommage a
Nancy Sinatra'. This strongly recalls, without actually quoting, the accompaniment to her
hit song 'These boots were made for walking'. Kurta'g refers to such pieces not as 'objects
trouves' but rather as 'objets tvoles'!
The minuteness and diversity of the individual movements in the sets of Microludes in
Games is not really a problem since the very purpose of the pieces does not lead the listener
to expect a particularly profound work. In a more serious work like the Microludes for
String Quartet,2 however, the listener is looking for something which will impinge upon
his consciousness, engaging his intellect and emotions more deeply, and which will not
appear too fussy. Although he is a miniaturist, it is in the Webernian sense of exploiting a
minute idea to its full, this creating a sense of completeness. Unusually, however, in the Op.
13 pieces he does leave some possibilities unexplored; the ostinato in Ex. 5 never reaches its
full potential, for instance. However, by providing links between the shorter movements,
by including some more extended pieces, and by recalling the mood of previous
movements as the work progresses, Kurtag does achieve the stability lacking in the
Microludes from Games.
The First Microlude is appropriately preludial in character, moving diatonically and
then chromatically out from C. The slow, chordal texture gives it the feel of a chorale, the
character of which is rcalled in subsequent movements, providing one of the stabilizing

2 These microludes are entitled Hommage a Mihdly Andrds. Some of Kurtag's homages to composers include
allusions to the music of the dedicatee, but this is not the case with opus 13. The composer Andras Mihaly was a
colleague of Kurtag's in the Chamber Music Department of the Ferenc Liszt Academy, and is now Director of
Hungarian Opera. He has been a great champion of contemporary music in Hungary and set up the Budapest
Chamber Ensemble which has given many premieres and other performances of new music.

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 20 TEMPO

tn

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 O
KURTAG'S MICROLUDES 21

features of the work. The tempo indication

symbol O stands merely for a note of long d
piece it is the basic unit and therefore no oth
remarkably slow basic speed. The subsequen
balancing their extremely quiet dynamics by
This first Microlude is also based on pedal-poin
movements. A 'tonic' pedal C gives way to the
the bass of a chord of ever-decreasing inter
aggregate does not include C, but prepares f
neighbouring semitones: C as the bass of the ch
The Second Microlude is a straightforwar
throughout. Its slow tempo and long duration
First, but these are blurred by the introduc
tremolo, but sul ponticello, pizzicato, and glissa
Second gives the slightest feeling of progress
the Second Microlude now becomes the 'Lead
the start of the Third piece (Ex. 5), sounding a
to fulfil the desire for a more dramatic gestur
mood of the first two Microludes. The rapid
although it is clearly linked to them in structu
Therefore, although the Third Microlude is e
part of a larger whole.
The Fourth Microlude is, like the Third, a
The texture is very light, the line is usually sp
brief outburst in the middle, the dynamic is
Eb, but otherwise this pitch is not especially
here is the semitone scale itself; in fact the ce
disguised by octave displacement. There is, t
which was discernible in the first three pieces
of fluctuation after being tied down to pedal-p
The Fifth Microlude is one of the most su
beautiful. The First Violin plays phrases of
instruments play slower-moving versions and

Ex. 6

5
Lontano, calio, appena sentito

o _ * - _ - ; -r _ _

'"-~~~~~ j 1Ji

pppp

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22 TEMPO

l^^ r r & XI I r I

r4' '*' -^ --
^- oXP
~- - -t-- I- hr
# I -

4 -, [ O?]?

4^1~~ o...
J.,f? l n , lo.- -- . _,-

ytlc. ~J o
o- ...

I JJ J. '.. ; I
- 0 .

The impression is of a fragm

spirit to the slow, chordal m
melodic line makes a dram
nevertheless achieved at the q
into the Sixth Microlude, an
little melodic motion from ch
a triad ofF major is re-sound
First and Second Violins playi
mouth-organ here. 'Alien' pitc
and the whole is somewhat re
completely unrelated layers
roles with the lower strings pl
but the dolce tone of the upper
The Seventh Microlude is als
throughout. Otherwise this is
whole-tone. It is merely a lar
attacca. As at the end of the
neighbouring semitones of the
The Eighth Microlude is also
make it quite incisive. It is bui

3 In a public talk given at Bath Colle

June, 1984.

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 KURTAG'S MICROLUDES 23

singled out for any special attention, the opening and closing sets of fifths are ce
the open strings and echoes of G are therefore carried into the other groups
throughout the piece.
The Ninth Microlude is the longest of the set. It is a collage, developing fu
idea of the Sixth Microlude, with the Violins seeming remote from Viola and C
texture and tonality. The First Violin plays pianissimo series of harmonics based
G, in a figuration reminiscent of the 'Lake of Tears' scene from Bluebeard. T
Violin, in a slightly louder dynamic, plays short scale passages or descending th
open-string pedals. It therefore carries resonances of the open-string fifths of th
piece as well as having links with the other pedal-point microludes. Both
directed to play leggiero but no tempo or other mood indication is given. Th
Cello, conversely, are directed to play pesante and con moto and are given a m
marking. Both parts are centred round A, which functions almost as a pedal, and a
in texture. As in the Sixth Microlude all the parts move towards each other in
They converge by taking up the Second Violin's material, but the original te
restored at the close.

The Tenth Microlude is another pedal piece, using groups chiefly of

semitones, once more against open-string pitch pedals. This piece introduces a
timbre this time: rapid repeated notes and tremoli are featured throughout sulponti
legno.
The Eleventh Microlude returns to the simple, chorale-like motion of the First, with
which it shares the tempo indication 0=20. A single pitch gives rise to a chord or chords
each time. Each of the single pitches rises one semitone higher from Bf, with the exception
of A. This piece is a distillation of the entire microlude concept, a brief resume before the
conclusion.

The last Microlude returns to the chorale-prelude sound of the Fifth with its
fragmented melodic line against which is a background of slower-moving chords. B is not
sounded straight away, but the first phrase comes to rest upon it. The entire piece is largely
concerned with groups of adjacent semitones, bars 3 and 4 forming a disguised semitone
scale. Nevertheless there is a tonal feel here, unlike the Fourth Microlude. It closes with B at
the base of a group of its neighbouring semitones, but C is absent. The work could,
therefore, return full cycle to the First Microlude, since C is needed to complete the group.
Kurtag is restrained in his choice of string timbres and dynamics throughout, realizing
that too great a variety could break up the work too much. These Microludes are studies of
great delicacy. The listener expecting the grand gesture is likely, therefore, to be
disappointed, but Kurta'g is nevertheless careful to provide gestures of sufficient
momentum, so that the work does not lose interest. It is a measure of his skill that he can
create a composition of considerable attraction from such simple means.

All music examples ? 1979 by Editio Musica Budapest.

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