This chapter examines Ligeti’s breakthrough orchestral works Apparitions and Atmosphères. These successful compositions translate some of the ideas developed in the electronic music studio into orchestral writing, in particular, techniques for organizing rhythm and for handling sound masses to create a static surface with a sense of internal motion. In interviews Ligeti claimed to have attempted to move in this direction while still in Hungary with the unfinished pieces Víziók and Sötét és Világos. A comparison of the extant sketches for these works shows the degree to which his experiences in the electronic studio resulted in a refinement of compositional technique, nuanced textures, and original orchestration.
