Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich, 7 July 2024
György Ligeti: Le Grand Macabre
György Ligeti’s intention with his opera Le Grand Macabre, which was premiered in Stockholm in 1978, was to thrill audiences with his grotesque apocalyptic satire, reintroducing opera through the back door. Le Grand Macabre explores themes of mortality, chaos and the absurdity of human existence. Despite its dark subject matter, the opera maintains a humorous and irreverent tone, challenging audiences to confront serious issues through the lens of satire and absurdity. The model for Ligeti’s opera was the poet Michel de Ghelderode, who in his play La Balade du Grand Macabre drew on the medieval tradition of the Dance of Death to create a bitter farce about Death, who announces the apocalypse to humanity and then, drunk on red wine, sleeps through his own end of the world.
In the new production at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, director Krzysztof Warlikowski and his faithful set designer Małgorzata Szczęśniak venture into the realm of the grotesque, but also take on a serious side. He sets the action in a place of transit, a place of waiting and uncertain hopes. But it is also where Ligeti’s bizarre arsenal of characters is to be found: In addition to the lovers Amando and Amanda, we meet the hard-drinking philosopher Piet vom Fass, the couple Mescalina and Astradamor, who play unusual games, and Nekrotzar, who prophesies doom – much of Ligeti’s work remains rooted in ambiguity, and Warlikowski follows him in suggesting possible narrative paths.
The opera combines elements of various musical styles, including Baroque, Classical, and modernist influences. It also incorporates popular music and jazz elements. Ligeti uses unconventional methods to produce sounds, such as microtonality, polyrhythms, and unusual instrumental effects. Kent Nagano, who was the music director of the Bavarian State Opera between 2006 and 2013, captures the opera’s unique blend of absurdity, satire and dark humour, conveying the emotional depth and theatrical elements through his expressive direction. He also balances the intricate details with the overall dramatic arc, ensuring a cohesive and powerful performance.
Ligeti’s score often requires extended vocal techniques such as Sprechgesang, glissandi and unconventional vocal sounds and the ensemble for this vocally challenging work has been superbly cast. Michael Nagy as Nekrotzar has a powerful and dramatic voice with a strong stage presence. Lindsay Ammann makes a Mescalina with a rich, powerful voice and the ability to convey both menace and comic elements. Benjamin Bruns’ Piet vom Fass has a light, flexible voice and delivers a performance with comedic timing and clear diction. Seonwoo Lee as Amanda and Avery Amereau as Amando sing in close harmony and with clear, well-matched voices to portray a youthful love.
