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György Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre with Sir Simon Rattle, Peter Sellars and the London Symphony Orchestra

Jan. 04, 2017

György Ligeti's <em>Le Grand Macabre</em> with Sir Simon Rattle, Peter Sellars and the London Symphony Orchestra

On January 14 and 15, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Barbican Centre present a semi-staged production of György Ligeti’s opera Le Grand Macabre, led by the formidable creative partnership of conductor Sir Simon Rattle and director Peter Sellars.

Set in a land of despots, debauchery and drunkenness, Le Grand Macabre is a wild journey through the end of the world, bolstered by music from one of the most imaginative composers of the 20th century. A bizarre "anti-anti-opera," Le Grand Macabre is highly influenced by post-war avant-garde works such as Kagel's Ludwig Van, shattering the boundaries of traditional operas by embellishing them ad absurdum.

The story centers on the evil menace Nekrozar's mission to destroy the world and what transpires as the forces of life refuse to expire. Along the way, the plot introduces us to a litany of absurd characters and situations: a cross-dressing astronomer, an obese, boy ruler of the fictional kingdom in which the action is set, a coloratura soprano aria sung entirely in coded language, and an extensive bass trumpet solo. Director Peter Sellars notes: 

Le Grand Macabre was one of those breakthrough pieces where an actual living composer shows up to an opera house and says: ‘what can we do with all of this?’… and so, you get this genuine, brilliant, complete musical genius whose sound world is on the outer edge of consciousness, and buzzing with intergalactic messages and worlds, and it’s that sense that the world is constantly surprising if you actually listen to it.

Ligeti's works can also be heard throughout the US this month, with performances of his Concerto for Violin and Orchestra at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's MusicNOW Festival (January 14 with soloist Pekka Kuusisto, conducted by Matthias Pintscher), Concerto for Piano and Orchestra with ensemble mise-en and pianist Yumi Suehiro (January 21), Concert Românesc with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (January 21) and Chamber Concerto with the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players (January 20).

For more information on György Ligeti, visit schott-music.com.

György Ligeti
Le Grand Macabre (1975-77, rev. 1996)
opera in four scenes
libretto by Michael Meschke and György Ligeti, after the Michel de Ghelderode play La Balade du Grand Macabre
for coloratura soprano, high soprano, soprano, mezzo-soprano, boy soprano, soprano or countertenor, dramatic mezzo-soprano, high tenor buffo, tenor, 4 baritones, Verdi baritone, bass, and 2 mixed choirs
3(2,3.pic)3(2.ob. d’am., 3.ca)3(2Eb cl, asax, 3.bcl)3(3.cbsn-4.4.btpt.3.0.cbtb-timp.3perc-3chrom. harmonicas(played by brass and percussion members)cel(cemb).konzertflügel(elec. pno.)elec. org.mnd.hp-str
120'

Concerto (1990; rev. 1992)
for violin and orchestra
2(1.afl, soprano recorder; 2.pic).1(soprano ocarina).2(1.Ebcl, sopranino ocarina; 2.bcl, alto ocarina).1(soprano ocarina)-2.1.ttbn.0-3timp.2perc-str
28’ 

Concerto (1985-1988)
for piano and orchestra
1(pic).1.1(alto ocarina).1-1.1.1.0-1/2perc-str
24’ 

Concert Românesc (1951)
for orchestra
2(2.pic.).2 (2.ca).2.2-3.2.0.0-2perc-str
12’ 

Chamber Concerto (1969-1970)
for 13 instruments
1(pic).1(obd’am, ca).2(bcl).0-1.0.1.0-hpd(Hammond B3 org, harmonium).pno(cel)-str(1.1.1.1.1)
21’  

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