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György Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre Caps the New York Philharmonic Season at Lincoln Center

May. 05, 2010

Le Grand Macabre, György Ligeti's only opera, saw its New York premiere by the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Alan Gilbert on May 27, 2010. Gilbert, an outspoken fan of Ligeti's work throughout his career, conducted this first staged performance of the opera in New York, collaborating with director Douglas Fitch who directed a performance of Stravinsky's L’Histoire du soldat with the New York Philharmonic in 2005.

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. Le Grand Macabre centers on the evil menace Nekrotzar's bent 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.

Magnifying the madness that ensues in the story, Ligeti has crafted a monolithic, fast-paced and colorfully orchestrated score bristling with clangorous 20th-century harmonies while also sneaking in subtle references to composers from other eras, most notably Beethoven and Monteverdi. Maestro Gilbert comments on performing and experiencing Ligeti:

Ligeti's music is a challenge to learn, but once you do, it's amazingly moving. All his complexities, his bizarre sounds, and extremes of register translate into a meaningful experience. It's immensely satisfying to offer compelling theater in the concert hall. My hope is to redefine the space for the audience.

[Our audiences] are used to watching people play music onstage, but are not used to thinking of the hall as an element of the performance. A theatrical piece will make this explicit.

The director Douglas Fitch adds:

The opera is a kind of Renaissance-inspired memento mori, reminding us how fleeting life is. Unlike a traditional proscenium theater, a concert hall is really a big, empty box that you can fill with anything you want. In this case, we are not just filling it with orchestral music, but with a complete opera.

Hear more from Alan Gilbert on Le Grand Macabre here.

For tickets and information, visit www.nyphil.org.

Learn more on the life and music of György Ligeti by visiting www.schott-music.com.

Detailed technical rider and schedule available upon request. Please contact: courtenay@michaelmooreagency.com or call +1 (212) 221-0400 Michael Moore Agency, New York City, USA.

 

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'

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