Accessibility links
Gyorgy Ligeti György Ligeti artist page: interviews, features and/or performances archived at NPR Music

Gyorgy Ligeti

Jonny Greenwood, Glass And Ligeti: An Evening Of Premieres And A Rarity

Brad Lubman, the Wordless Music Orchestra, and Signal Ensemble play live on May 20, 2011 at New York's Society for Ethical Culture. Richie Clarke/courtesy of the artists hide caption

toggle caption
Richie Clarke/courtesy of the artists

Classics in Concert

Jonny Greenwood, Glass And Ligeti: An Evening Of Premieres And A Rarity

Q2

An exciting premiere of music by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, Philip Glass' take on David Bowie and Brian Eno, and finger-shredding sounds from Gyorgy Ligeti.

Jonny Greenwood, Glass And Ligeti: An Evening Of Premieres And A Rarity

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/136622314/136648530" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Music Interviews

Composer Ligeti, a Kubrick Favorite, Has Died

The composer, Gyorgy Ligeti, has died in Vienna after a long, undisclosed illness. He was 83. Ligeti reached a wider audience than most contemporary composers, largely due to filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, who used several Ligeti works in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Eyes Wide Shut.

Composer Ligeti, a Kubrick Favorite, Has Died

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5480242/5480243" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Talk Like An Opera Geek: Game-Changing Composers In Postwar Europe

György Ligeti's surreal opera Le Grand Macabre was the hit of the New York Philharmonic's 2009-2010 season, in a semi-staged production that featured Barbara Hannigan (left) as Gepopo and Anthony Roth Costanzo as Prince Go-Go. Chris Lee/New York Philharmonic hide caption

toggle caption
Chris Lee/New York Philharmonic

Deceptive Cadence

Talk Like An Opera Geek: Game-Changing Composers In Postwar Europe

European opera ranged from realistic to unhinged in the 20th century, as composers wrote with freedom and imagination on all sorts of subjects.

Bye-Bye, Best Classical Album: Grammy Categories Cut

Far fewer Grammys will be handed out in future ceremonies, starting next year. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Opinion

Deceptive Cadence

Bye-Bye, Best Classical Album: Grammy Categories Cut

The Recording Academy has slashed the number of Grammys that will be handed out. Among the hardest-hit genres: classical music.

String Quartet No. 1 ("Métamorphoses nocturnes") [Tempo di Valse, moderato, con eleganza, un poco capriccioso - Allegretto, un poco gioviale -]

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/135204990/135188923" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
The Classical Strongman's Guide To Awesome Abs

Hercules had perfect abs. For that reason and a few others, this statue of him stands in Florence, Italy. iStock hide caption

toggle caption
iStock

Sweatin' To NPR: Workout Music

The Classical Strongman's Guide To Awesome Abs

Not as macho as Mahler, nor limber as Ligeti? You'll see results almost immediately after listening to these five exercise essentials from the wild world of classical music. The sounds of iron pumping and breathless beats from the barrel organ are just what you need to inspire your personal best. Manly, yes, but women will love it, too.

Browse archive or search npr.org