Le Grand Macabre

The sole opera by Hungarian composer György Ligeti (1923–2006) premiered in 1978, but this 2011 performance from Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu employs the composer's 1996 revision in English translation. Based on a 1934 absurdist play, the libretto tells a satirically apocalyptic tale about a tyrant named Nekrotzar (here ably sung by Werner Van Mechelen), who literally rises from the dead intent on destroying the world—rejoicing when his astrologer, Astradamors (Frode Olsen), informs him that a catastrophic comet will arrive at midnight. Numerous subplots involve bickering government ministers, drunken revelry, an inept prince, and Astradamors' harridan wife, all leading to a finale that finds the characters still alive, Nekrotzar chagrined, and a pair of lovers emerging from seclusion to preach a hedonist philosophy. Ligeti's dissident score has playful elements, exemplified by the inclusion of doorbells, car horns, rubber squeeze toys, and pots and pans in the orchestra. The staging by the innovative Catalan group La Fura dels Baus is extravagant, beginning with a short film of an obese woman dying of a heart attack, after which a huge statue of her is placed center stage, allowing the splashily costumed characters to scamper all over it. Although Le Grand Macabre certainly won't appeal to everyone (the dialogue features some gross obscenities), this is an important work by a serious modern artist. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include a “making-of” featurette, and an interview with conductor Michael Boder. Recommended. (F. Swietek)