Artistic Research / Doctor of Performance (DPerf)
The main objective of my artistic research is to examine the role of dexterity in Ligeti’s piano music; particularly in what ways he develops the concept of pianism in his Etudes, Piano Trio and Piano Concerto. Despite the fact that key lines of inquiry have been widely examined in Ligeti’s piano works concerning matters of rhythmic complexity, erratic metre, accentuation, and notation, what has been neglected so far by previous research is a thorough analysis of dexterity: “music written for the hand”. My methodology involves a detailed analysis of and reflection upon the fundamental principles of keyboard technique which shaped and influenced Ligeti’s work. This includes analyses of touch, phrasing, structure, articulation, and, of particular value for my projects, fingering.