To: info@ap.org
Re: 'Space Odyssey' composer Ligeti dies

An Open Letter To the Editors of the Associated Press:

While your decision to devote a fairly lengthy article to memorializing composer Gyorgi Ligeti (June 12, 2006) is admirable, especially in the current media climate where coverage of contemporary composers is so rare, the article itself had a number of disappointing and serious problems.

The most important failing of your article was its repeated implications of the nature of Ligeti’s connection to Stanley Kubrik’s 1968 film “2001: A Space Odyssey.” To begin with, your title “’Space Odyssey’ composer Ligeti dies” suggests that Ligeti wrote music specifically for Kubrik’s film, and that the use of his music in the film was the highlight of his career. Given the need for concise titles which catch the interest of your readership, and the fact that 2001 is the most salient connection to Ligeti among most of the public, your decision would be understandable if the subject were addressed clearly and accurately in the article itself – unfortunately, the errors only continue from there.

You say that Ligeti “gained fame for his opera ‘Le Grand Macabre’ and his work on the soundtrack for Stanley Kubrick's ‘2001: A Space Odyssey,’” -- your characterization “his work on the soundtrack” is once again misleading, implying that Kubrik asked Ligeti to write for the film. In fact, Kubrik did not even ask Ligeti’s permission to use his music, and Ligeti didn’t find out about the use until he was informed by a friend who had seen the film. Ligeti threatened legal action and reportedly settled rather than taking the case to court. One of his main objections was the Kubrik’s unauthorized modifications to “Aventures.” ("Aventures" is not mentioned in your article.)

Also strange is that the version of your article posted at CNN.com (10:58 a.m. EDT) asserts “He took Austrian citizenship after fleeing his ex-communist homeland and became known for ‘Macabre,’ which he wrote in 1978.” Ligeti left Hungary in 1956, and 2001 was released in 1968, so saying that he “became known” for a piece from 1978 is absurd. The version currently linked from the AP website (11:51 AM EDT) fixes the problem, but CNN retains the old version. Your latest version also changes Stephen Ferguson’s statement “He was fascinated by patters, but at the same time created wonderful atmospheres, such as in '2001: A Space Odyssey,' or in 'Clocks and Clouds.'” to “He was fascinated by patterns, but at the same time created wonderful atmospheres, such as in the music used in '2001: A Space Odyssey,' or in 'Clocks and Clouds.'”, fixing the typo in “patterns” and clarifying that the his music was “used in” 2001 rather than written for it – This is a marked improvement, but CNN still has the old version, and one wonders whether you misquoted Ferguson the first time and fixed it, or intentionally misquoted him the second time. Obviously you can’t be held responsible for CNN’s failure to acquire the latest versions (I will copying CNN on this message), but these should have been obvious problems and it would have been nice to get it right the first time around.

The last problem with your article comes not from an error on your part but from your source Stephen Ferguson, who says: “He developed a new sound - cluster sound - which fascinated director Stanley Kubrick and propelled Ligeti to the top of the great composers of the second half of the 20th century.” Certainly Ligeti was one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, but Ferguson’s analysis is incorrect. Tone Clusters have been in common use since Charles Ives’s “Concord Sonata” (composed from 1911-1915 and published in 1920) and since Henry Cowell’s hugely influential book “New Musical Resources” was published in 1930. Sound Mass techniques can be traced at least as far back as Ruth Crawford Seeger’s “String Quartet 1931”; Iannis Xenakis used them in Metastasis, which premiered in 1955; and the most famous instance is probably Krzysztof Penderecki's 1959 “Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima.” Ligeti’s breakthrough Tone Cluster / Sound Mass piece “Atmosphères” dates to 1961. Ligeti made brilliant use of those techniques, but to say he “developed a new sound” is incorrect and robs earlier innovators of their due. Furthermore, he moved on to other techniques by the 1970s, so arguing that his Tone Cluster and Sound Mass work is what “propelled [him] to the top of the great composers” sells Ligeti himself short. Ferguson was a reasonable source to use, so it’s difficult to blame the AP for his mistakes, but at the same time if the AP had writers on staff with more familiarity with modern classical music these errors might have been averted.

In conclusion, let me re-emphasize that your decision to cover the death of one of the great composers was both commendable and correct. These criticisms are meant not to discourage you from covering such events in the future, but rather to help you identify your weaknesses so that you can do a better job. Thank you.
Sincerely,

Galen H. Brown

Composer
Contributing Editor, Sequenza21.com

cc:
Sequenza21.com
CNN.com