Musica ricercata

Musica ricercata is a set of eleven pieces for piano by György Ligeti. The work was composed from 1951 to 1953, shortly after the composer began lecturing at the Budapest Academy of Music. The work premiered on 18 November 1969 in Sundsvall, Sweden. Although the ricercata (or ricercar) is an established contrapuntal style (which is used by the final movement of the work), Ligeti's title should probably be interpreted literally as "researched music" or "sought music". The work presages many of the more radical directions Ligeti would take in the future, exemplifying his intention 'to build a new music from nothing'. Nonetheless, the work refers explicitly to musical precedents: movement IV is given the indication 'Tempo di Valse', IX and XI pay hommage respectively to Bartók and Frescobaldi, and movements II, IV, and V each employ conventional key signatures.

In response to a request by the Jeney Quintet, six of the movements were arranged for wind quintet as Six Bagatelles for Wind Quintet (1953). They are, in order: III, V, VII, VIII, IX, X.

Eight movements (I, III, IV, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI) were transcribed for bayan by Parisian accordionist Max Bonnay.