György Ligeti
Music in the films of Stanley Kubrick

Ligeti's music is best known to the public not acquainted with 20th century classical music for its use in three films of Stanley Kubrick 's, which gained him a world-wide audience. The soundtrack to 2001: A Space Odyssey includes excerpts from four of his pieces: Atmosphères, Lux Aeterna, Requiem and Aventures. Atmosphères is heard during the "Star Gate" sequence, with portions also heard in the Overture and Intermission. Lux Aeterna is heard in the moon-bus scene en route to the Tycho monolith. The Kyrie sequence of his Requiem is heard over the first three monolith encounters. An electronically altered version of Aventures, unlisted in the film credits, is heard in the cryptic final scenes. The music was used, and in some cases modified, without Ligeti's knowledge, and without full copyright clearance. When he learned about the use of his music in the film, he "successfully sued for having had his music distorted" and they settled out of court. Kubrick sought permission and compensated Ligeti for use of his music in later films.

Lux Aeterna was used again in Peter Hyams 's 1984 sequel to 2001, 2010: The Year We Make Contact.

A later Kubrick film, The Shining, uses small portions of Lontano for orchestra.

One motif from the second movement of Ligeti's Musica ricercata is used at pivotal moments in Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. At the German premiere of that film, by which time Kubrick had died, his widow was escorted by Ligeti himself.
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