Ligeti György Sándor ： Etudes Book II No.13 L’escalier du diable

The Devil’s Staircase is a demanding etude that combines a sense of ceaseless upward motion with the driving force of sharply defined rhythms. As small patterns are passed from one hand to the other, the register expands, and tension builds through repetition and change. Shifts in accent and changes in density emerge within the continuous flow, so simply lining up the notes mechanically can obscure the music’s direction. First clarify the contours of each voice and the beat’s points of gravity; prioritize an even touch and clear articulation over speed. Maintaining the long upward momentum while showing changes of dynamics and sonority from one passage to the next is key to sustaining concentration through the ending.