György Ligeti: Étude No. 13: L'escalier du diable / The Devil’s Staircase

When I play Ligeti’s Étude No. 13: L’escalier du diable / The Devil’s Staircase, I have the feeling of climbing and of Escher’s endless staircases that Ligeti loved so much. I have the feeling not of looking at this famous architectural illusion, but of being part of it, and in vain of looking for an exit. And I feel deeply the existential dimension that this situation had for Ligeti.
Follow along with the interactive score and explore other educational resources at the Ligeti Project, an initiative with the Klavier-Festival Ruhr. » bit.ly/2aJMSyx

[@jamespiper1710]

this piece so meaty he's chewin on it

[@jackgonzalez9303]

James Piper HAHAHA

[@musicspinner]

Diggin' in. 😎

[@lithium3299]

That is not funny........ 😂😂😂😂😂

[@benjaminc.s1102]

​@@musicspinner😂

[@Nogli]

For anybody who is curious, the chord at 4:20 is the infamous chord that is marked 'ffffffff' on the score.

[@alejandrom.4680]

György was a strange and crazy man lmao.

[@andres-quezada]

blaze it

[@edmundbloxam2714]

An indication like that is just meant as something relative. You just subdivide your levels of loud by eight. It's not some kind of joke. It is, obviously louder than your standard ff and is 'as loud as possible', but it does serve a real purpose.

[@Nogli]

It is, but it is notorious nonetheless. I think that it really does go to show the precision of Ligeti's visions. If he was prepared to slice up degrees of loudness into so many levels, he clearly knew exactly what he wanted. Similarly, there's a pppppppp in another of his etudes (Vertige), which is completely necessary as it a quiet and deep unnerving drone beneath the striking higher tones.

[@bennemann]

@@Nogli No, it does not show the "precision of Ligeti's vision". He's not some special snowflake that needs 18 levels of loudness when virtually every other composer throughout history felt no need to use more than the standard 9 levels of loudness. He just wrote it that way for emphasis and hyperbole!!!!!!! Exactly how I didn't need to write 7 exclamation marks there and just 3 would have sufficed. People should stop idolizing everything that composers do as if it were a stroke of genius. Sometimes they're just being cheeky.

[@andrewmorton3344]

For me, Ligeti is the perfect window into the late 20th Century's phantasmagoria of sounds and ideas. I don't know enough to tread the ground with any authority, but thanks to Ligeti I can see the beauty of the landscape.

[@user-vg7de1vf2m]

The beauty of this is difficult to describe. Moved me to tears.

[@CuriousExploration]

Terriffic and groundbreaking performance! Just noticed how besides playing the melody at 2:30, he is also using his piano as percussion instrument to simulate the steps on the staircase. Amazing!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Wow. What a performance. So relaxed.

[@floorcat7985]

Relaxed?

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

@@floorcat7985 His hands.

[@user-gv2hv8dp1t]

One of those few pieces that uses all the notes on a piano! Thank you for uploading, brilliant performance on a wonderful piano. Only pianists know the hand, body and mind co-ordinations required for such performance!

[@bjornviir3333]

asking why anyone would want to learn this piece is like asking why anyone would want to climb Mt. Everest...easy, just to see if it can be done...at least you wont likely die while playing this, but going up to high register keys might bring some shoulder pain. I divide this piece to very small sections and practise those separately...still, even getting to 20% tempo is very hard. Tons of patience needed to learn this.

[@yagiz885]

I really want to learn this piece, but omg that polyrhthm it kills me

[@bjornviir3333]

@@yagiz885 i am practicing this every day 30min, its the only way to make progress, but i m addicted to it now, i probaly need 2 more years to learn this but it is playable, great memory exercise.

[@bjornviir3333]

yes i ve been addicted to this piece for years....i realized now that under 30min a day wont cut it....did u notice he is not even looking at the keys, like he is almost sightreading...unreal.

[@autumnleaves3191]

it is focusing on the muscle movements and practicing those rather than learning each piece on their own. Focus really hard on how your arms and fingers move, and develop methods of identifying when and where they should move. Practice that which helps you move better. With that practice regimen, it's accomplishable with focus and dedication.

[@bjornviir3333]

@@autumnleaves3191 indeed....i am trying just that...thanks for tip.

[@23BET23]

So great. The person who best understands the Ligeti studies, IMO. Would love to see all of them filmed.

[@guscairns1]

Apart from its sheer technical difficulty, Ligeti asks for an almost impossible balance of the precise and the apocapyptic in this piece amd most pianists err on one side or the other. This guy is more precise than Anderson and that helps the jazzy accents of the first bit, but the "Bells of Hell" section is a bit underwhelming.

[@KentHewittpiano88]

#100. No words of admiration are enough for this performance... and composer, so all I will say is BRAVO!, and thank for the chills up my spine!

[@chrislindley3847]

Just saw Bruce Hornsby play this last night...killed it!

[@duranfamily291]

It’s a constant tourture of the soul as the devil spins the hamster wheel of pain and suffering over And over And over And over Again

[@MrAlcides1611]

Very impressive and extraordinairy performance! You and Ligeti: TWO MASTERS!!! Your recordings for "Ligeti's Complete Works (Sony") are unsurpassable, top class, the first reference!

[@olgakopylova8796]

It’s a kind of jazz groove in it, isn’t it? Incredible interpretation! And Ligeti’s contribution is so important as of Stravinsky for the music of 20th century. He impacted and innovated the path of composing in so many ways.

[@arielorthmann4061]

I wouldn't say quite as important as Ligeti's legacy isn't only quite limited, whereas Stravinsky radically influenced *all* of the music that came after him, from Varèse to Les Six

[@zerois2801]

@@arielorthmann4061 Stravinsky didn’t influence all of music either imo More of the orchestral scene of western academia specifically Russia modernists His later works also lack influence in terms of consistency which is something ligeti has throughout his career from the early years lecteonic works all the way to the etudes Neither artists are full on genre refiners tho while very important I would say the last artists to have a impact that big was Beethoven and Wagner

[@arielorthmann4061]

@@zerois2801 Stravinsky, in his first period (that of Le Sacre du Printemps), greatly influenced Edgard Varèse (works such as Amériques and everything after), and George Antheil (Ballet Mécanique) who himself influenced the american ultra-modernist school of thought (Ruggles, Crawford-Seeger, etc) of the 1920-30's. Varèse's works greatly influenced post-war british/american avant-gardists such as Finissy, Birtwhistle, etc. About all of the Darmstadt composers recon a huge impact of Stravinsky's music on them. But it doesn't stop there ; Stravinsky also about invented neo-classicism which had a great importance between the 20's and the 50's. Soviet post-war modernists, if that's who you're talking about, such as Schnittke, Gubaidulina, Ustvolskaya, Denisov, Tishchenko, Shchedrin, etc... were mostly influenced by Schostakovitch and Prokofiev ; Stravinsky was out of Russia since the 1910's, so his influence in the homeland was quite limited. I think Stravinsky's influence on music is comparable to Wagner's on the 2nd half of the 19th century, and likely comparable to Lachenmann's influence today.

[@zerois2801]

@@arielorthmann4061 while imo I would agree with you on the neoclassical part which is perhaps along with his orchestration his greatest influence what I was trying to say (really this was a bad phrasing on my part) Stravinsky had a bigger influence than ligeti on a single field but ligeti on the other had minor impact spread out in different fields Micropolyphony, some in Orchestration, harmony, electro acoustic music, contemporary piano, rhythmic contributions, post modernism, musique concrete etc, So my point being Stravinsky had a greater impact in a single instance but ligeti had smaller impacts throughout his career that lasted longer due to his style constantly evolving and progressing Not to say Stravinsky later works aren’t a evolution but considering the time frame his later more serial works weren’t as influencial certainly Stravinsky is perhaps one of the most important composer’s in his field and as you and I mentioned along with Shostakovich and Prokofiev created the foundation for Russian modernists composers another to mention would be boris and schnitkke However I still personally stand that Stravinsky wasn’t as influencial as say Wagner not a big different but a bit less Wagner, Beethoven, and Schoenberg is the most for me I would say Stravinsky is important as Debussy, Liszt during his radical period, Stockhausen, etc

[@zerois2801]

And I also agree that the Darmstadt composers and ofc really all composer within I would say 1-2 decades within Stravinsky radical early works were greatly influenced and impacted by him However I think we still need to consider which my original point was that while Stravinsky had great influence imo it was mostly limited to a few fields and a certain time frame of his output Mainly his early to early mid works I would say had what I could to a extend agree with you a Wagner like impact Stravinsky influence I would in a direct sense go to neo classical and his orchestration Along with his harmony which along with early Soviet and Russian modernists like the ones I listed above and also Scriabin would impact the post war Soviet composer The rest of Stravinsky influence is more so in domino effect not to take anything away but it was for direct impact a more concentrated period Ligeti career had smaller moments compared to Stravinsky I suppose but spread out through his career So for me even thought Stravinsky had larger impacts in smaller instances ligeti makes it up with his smaller but more frequent influence You bring up a important point tho you are right to say while ofc Stravinsky and both Prokofiev were important in neoclassical developments Shostakovich had perhaps a greater impact on those like tishcenko That is my mistake

[@excuseyou7198]

I like how in this piece the piano is both used as a melodic and percussion instrument

[@SlyHikari03]

Yup

[@rosiefay7283]

I disagree. There is nothing melodic about this piece.

[@rockcatcool2732]

Piano is a percussion instrument.

[@jamesrockybullin5250]

@@rosiefay7283 I was listening to 1:06 when I read your comment!

[@jptaylor]

Simply astounding. Super-human playing and composition. Unbelievable achievement.

[@Barbapippo]

This pianist is perfect for this music

[@MegaMalban]

This is metal as hell

[@pedroteran5885]

That's what I was thinking just when I reached this comment.

[@biffhaus]

MegaMalban I posted “so metal” and then saw your comment.

[@floorcat7985]

i dont think its that metal

[@captainhowdy6353]

So true

[@rogthefrog]

@@floorcat7985 it's pretty metal

[@janetcraft]

Great performance and composition indeed :) I had the same feeling of running up Escher's staircase only to stop, (by reaching the top?) when suddenly the music comes to a complete halt.

[@abrahamalvaradovargas4941]

Now Ligeti is one more of my musical heroes, and people who plays this music is admirable!!!!!!!

[@PianoMeSasha]

Mr Aimard. I was at your SanDiego concert and want to tell you once again (i told you on the line after the concert) THANK YOU so very very very much for introducing me to so much new music, including Ligeti, which i found b/c i am listening to all your music on you tube. I have felt as if drugged, since the concert, in the best of ways. Thank you for an intensely spiritual musical experience. I love the fact that you communicate, in words, to us, the audience. Its so clear how you play with hands, head, and heart....Your concert was one of the two or three most important in my 40 years of serious listening. Merci pour tout!

[@b.a.s.u.]

beautiful! The "Cantor-Lebesgue function" is a piece of mathematics in real analysis that is also known as the devil's staircase (it is a somewhat peculiar function with rare growth properties). I'm pretty amazed just finding out about Ligeti's interest in maths

[@benlindsay6012]

I first came across Ligeti in the film "Eyes Wide Shut". Dominic Harlan was playing the 2nd piece of Ligeti's "Musica Ricercata". Since then, I've been fascinated by most of Ligeti's compositions!

[@GregSpradlin]

Have you seen 2001: A Space Odyssey?

[@IboOrtgies]

Merci beaucoup! Thank you for uploading your great recording! Ligeti's music has been with me since I was ca 15 years, still is, and will be. To the memories I cherish belongs his talking about his music (Horn Trio, first part of Études), Escher, neuroscience, chaos theory and African music in two hours of one brillant seminar in Hamburg ca 1987 (I studied in Hamburg back then). His ability to maintain high levels of complexity and yet to appeal constantly to the "mere" sensual basis, to the ear (which makes his music very accessible, despite the complexity), reminds me without any doubt to that quality of Bach and Mozart (in his later works).

[@Quim141]

Ligeti is, without dubt, one of the most ingenious and genious music creators of all history of music.

[@preppychrisbou]

Purely diabolical! Loved it.

[@grantveebeejay535]

A superlative masterful performance of this great work. Truly wonderful sir!

[@RedZed1974]

I heard someone once saw Ligeti stoned and smoking a joint in a grocery store. And Ligeti yelled at the guy when he quietly expressed some quick admiration.

[@wolfil8019]

I love the music of Ligeti. I love much avant-garde/experimental "classical" music. But what I love most about this particular song is that its beautifully devilish start moves me to dance ... And once I start dancing to it, I won't stop til the end. Somehow it seems very appropriate that "the devil's staircase" would move one to dance ....

[@notadumbblond3]

Man that's a really long stair case.

[@karukaru1960]

Absolutely fantastic. I feel as if I am listening to Beethoven. Your insight into Ligeti's work is very profound.

[@PhilippeBrun-qy3st]

Extraordinaire... Merci.

[@piliage]

Finally! The performance I've been waiting for.

[@jeserediteur1116]

Génial! Une musique qui restera dans le futur!

[@RanBlakePiano]

What a refreshing treat. Thank you for great post

[@markgcarroll]

Sublime. Captures both the virtuosity and the dance. I couldn't help but 'bop' along (while also making a mental note to tell my students to watch his hands!)

[@christiaandejong]

Great, always an inspiration!

[@jorgeisaacgonzalezprieto6590]

Increíble, extraordinario.

[@sugarfree1894]

Every time you think you've reach the top of the stairs there's another flight lmao

[@BHAKTIBROPHY]

An honor to watch you perform. Always. Thank you.

[@anthonymaloney6020]

Mind blowingly wonderful

[@quikjip]

Hypnotic sonically and visually - the crossing of hands has never made more sense, as they seem to enter on the left of the "screen' and jump off a cliff at the very right like lemmings :-)

[@paolovallejo5500]

Great description of the composition!

[@nicosgar]

Bravo ! Oeuvre magnifique et tout est bon.... Je vous admire monsieur Aimard!!! Surtout pour Messiaen !

[@SordidGuy]

ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING PIECE!!!

[@PierreVeniot]

Amazing composition and pianist

[@javierdelapena3002]

Espectacular!

[@pablooyarzunquiroz2129]

Increíble! Es muy sorprendente cómo este pianista puede tocar algo tan intenso con tanta paz y tranquilidad encima. Parece un oxímoron. Impresionante pianista!

[@ugomoschella201]

Wordless...Bravo

[@RuloGonzo666]

Man, this is great. Thanks!

[@nicosuarez6962]

That piece is earbreaking, but your interpretation is amazing Congratulations!

[@GUILLOM]

This is a masterpiece

[@FranzLisztandChopin]

Calling this a masterpiece is like calling my self portrait from first grade the next Mona Lisa. This piece is not a masterpiece. It’s a massivepeiceoftrash

[@gene397]

Very difficult to play... Excellente interprétation !!!

[@cesarlorenzetti2133]

Bravo Maestro Aimard. Obviamente, bravo genial Ligeti

[@Quim141]

Impressive maestro!

[@pelegrino791]

A piano masterpiece of the XX th century !

[@floorcat7985]

Whats xx

[@yashbspianoandcompositions1042]

@@floorcat7985 20th

[@danmartinazzi]

The master in Ligeti's art

[@xxxxxPr0xxxxx]

finally a song that makes use of the entire thing.

[@tobruktunez796]

Amazing

[@maxheadrom3088]

This is excellent! There's another version on youtube but the subtleties required for the Shepherd Tone effect aren't there. Thanks!

[@anthonymaloney6020]

Mind blowing my wonderful

[@AlessioAndres]

Nice warm-up exercise.

[@DrPapa5]

Amazing! Does anyone else note the similarity of the driving, rising motif to Prokofiev's Toccata?

[@excuseyou7198]

I heard that too!

[@GranulatedStuff]

Bravo !

[@seanz1115]

Amazing composition. Amazing pianist. Unreal that people can play this music.

[@Enigmatic_Music1]

Amazing composition? Go and see a doctor dude

[@seanz1115]

Daniel Reece Hmmm pretty sure medical doctors don’t have any treatments for musical taste....

[@Enigmatic_Music1]

Or lack of

[@seanz1115]

Daniel Reece Like I said... no treatment for that. Musical doctors however might have something to say on the matter. And as my music theory and composition teacher was in fact a fan of Ligeti he’d probably recommend listening to him even more.

[@Enigmatic_Music1]

But there's nothing to listen to other than the totally randomised attack on the instruments. Ligetis got the creative capacity of an autistic 3 year old

[@diegofus]

I love it

[@RocketKirchner]

A real sense of apprehension

[@nemo8525]

nothing to make with but, i am also liking so much Cesar Franck, particularly his "Heroïc Piece".

[@jacquesprenovost2119]

super exercices Cooll

[@seijirhino]

Chingón!!

[@gerdlindlar1980]

fantastique

[@skelly790]

The Cantor function. Also known as the Devils's Staircase, amongst other things. The graph fits the music. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantor_function

[@juliencauchois3425]

Parfait !

[@andropolisstudiomusic]

Wow!

[@8888rm]

Is it the official KZbin chanel?

[@carlosliut8670]

BRAVISSIMO FIGLIO MARTÍN LIUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

[@paradise3124]

Hello, can I ask you for sheet music? Give me the link, please.

[@RollinRocker]

It costs like 300 dollars when I looked it up for the section with this in it.

[@suapan9139]

I feel bad for whoever is climbing that staircase. R.I.P. One like to this youtube channel = 1 prayer for guy who falls down stairs at the worst moment.

[@nodezsh]

Whoever is climbing that staircase is most certainly not resting in peace!

[@solarean]

@@camthesaxman3387 good

[@calebhu6383]

An asphyxiating performance of this claustrophobic work.

[@jaredhoeft2832]

I'm working on this piece right now... I will never be able to play it this well, but I hope I can learn from performances like this and improve my own performance from them.

[@Enigmatic_Music1]

Why the hell would you want to learn this shit?

[@jaredhoeft2832]

@@Enigmatic_Music1 because it's awesome and then I can perform it at the Halloween concert I'm putting on with my wife. There's really nothing else like this piece, it's super unique sounding. And while it is very difficult, it's also very well written for piano - it fits really well on the fingers.

[@Enigmatic_Music1]

Everyone will be like, "what the fuck is this dude doing, is this even a song? Is he having a seizure? Is he pranking us, this is awful please god make it stop!" if you think anyone will enjoy this then you're deluding yourself, save yourself the embarrassment

[@jaredhoeft2832]

@@Enigmatic_Music1 oh you're one of those kinds of people :( This isn't even the most out-there sounding piece my wife and I have performed. It probably sounds inaccessible to you because it's based on constantly ascending chromatic movements, meaning there are few recognizable pitch centers. But it has a very clear thematic effect, a sort of chaotic endless climbing effect, that a lot of people enjoy quite a bit. This piece is very much about that overall thematic effect rather than more familiar types of musical elements.

[@SelvesteDovregubben]

@@Enigmatic_Music1 What utter horseshit. Ligeti is one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century

[@elguacamolesf4414]

RIP Benny Harvey

[@LLB-wg5xt]

❤

[@ilirllukaci5345]

How do you know you're climbing?

[@TomDensley]

This is new music

[@Ymoart]

🎹🥳👌nice production of sounds 🔉🔊///// la musique ou bien tout simplement l'agencement de sons permet de s'introduire dans le silence 🤐

[@e.h.escobedo7783]

Quite dark piece... reminds me of Mephisto Waltzes by Liszt

[@preppychrisbou]

E.H. Escobedo Yeah, but only much darker and even creepier. Everything here is a deterrent from learning this piece. Like if the composer didn’t want too many people attempt playing this.

[@beanos5105]

btw he is sightreading it

[@andrelezy2076]

... if the devil lives in the bowels of the earth, I have the impression that this staircase there is ascending ... would it be built at the antipode from here?

[@Freespeechassassin]

A fever dream

[@ilirllukaci5345]

Did Douglas Hofstadter know about Ligeti?

[@karimaijala7039]

My brain thinks that part of this is somehow similar to "Piano Study in Mixed Accents" by Ruth Crawford-Seeger. Those are dated decades apart though.

[@thegreatmoa]

If anxiety had a theme tune.

[@flashbaneyify]

Noisy as Hell LOL! No pun intended!

[@somecho]

That slight rall. towards the top was so gripping. Fuck.

[@chrisambrose8278]

1:25 spider fight

[@constanzazuniga6599]

[@isnotmaybe9165]

Could someone convert this into guitar tab

[@mcblahflooper94]

😠

[@jean-yvesbranquet3634]

Mais quel cerveau faut-il pour jouer cette pièce..??!? Dément..!! Bravo Mr Aimard..!

[@angelazdravkovska4913]

Cantor's function brought me here

[@PepekBezlepek]

haha great comment! I immediately thought about some math function after hearing this, too

[@DCLXVI000]

Sounds like sheperd tone

[@OscarGeronimo]

That was the point.

[@DCLXVI000]

Oh, I see now

[@Nogli]

If you like this, check out Etude No.9 'Vertige'. It's a similar idea, with the sound of constant falling.

[@TheJaoz3]

5:03 abyss

[@stephenw9625]

Super Mario 64

[@arnopr]

:-D

[@coreylukin4910]

Thank you for saying it

[@ixfd64]

Backward long jump.