Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Volume/Issue:
Volume 43: Issue 3-4
The Path of a Hölderlin Topos 
Wandering Ideas in Kurtág's Compositions
Author:
Zoltán Farkas Musikwissenschaftliches Institut der Ungarischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 1014 Budapest, Táncsics u. 7.

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Pages:
289–310
Online Publication Date:
19 Jul 2005
Publication Date:
01 Jun 2002
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1556/smus.43.2002.3-4.7
Keywords:
György Kurtág; Friedrich Hölderlin; recurrence of a musical idea
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The recurrence of certain musical ideas from piece to piece can be considered as one of the main characteristic features of Kurtág's music. These recurring ideas create a web between the different groups of compositions which should span over even more decades in his oeuvre. This essay follows the path of two musical materials which are associated with Hölderlin's name in Kurtág's music and at the same time, are closely connected with each other.The members of the first group of compositions examined ('Hölderlin' the 3rd out of  Four Songs to János Pilinszky's Poems, op. 11, - Study to 'Hölderlin”, Játékok IV,   - Sketch to Hölderlin,Játékok VII) are homogeneous pieces characterized by the exclusiveness of the Hölderlin topos. The three compositions can be considered as variants of each other. The members of the other group (The Székely Mangle, Nr. 2 out of Three Old Inscriptions - Preface to a Bálint Exhibition, Játékok V - Lebenslauf op. 32 and the 1st movement of Stele op. 33) however, are aesthetically autonomous, independent works and the Hölderlin topos is only one of their formal constituents. The musical form itself develops from the confrontation of the toposwith a new material. This essay tries to find an answer to the question how the role of the Hölderlin toposchanges in the form and dramaturgy of each individual composition.

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Cover Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Print ISSN:
0039-3266
Online ISSN:
1588-2888

Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Language English
French
German
Year of
Foundation		 1961
Publication
Programme		 changed title
Founder Magyar Tudományos Akadémia  
Founder's
Address		 H-1051 Budapest, Hungary, Széchenyi István tér 9.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 0039-3266 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2888 (Online)

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