Le Grand Macabre

by György Ligeti
Teatro Massimo di Palermo 2024-11-24 ... 2024-12-01

The Teatro Massimo in Palermo brings to life the thrilling and darkly humorous world of György Ligeti’s “Le Grand Macabre” in its 2024/25 season, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience one of the most audacious operas of the 20th century. Known for its surreal plot, eclectic musical style, and unique blend of absurdity and profound existentialism, “Le Grand Macabre” is a masterpiece that defies traditional operatic conventions. This production of the 1996 English-language version will be staged in Palermo for the first time, inviting opera enthusiasts and curious newcomers alike to immerse themselves in Ligeti’s chaotic, yet captivating world.

Teatro Massimo Travel Package

Music trip to Sicily with a performance at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo.
The Teatro Massimo is the largest opera house in Italy with a perfect acoustics and with magnificent reception rooms, galleries and monumental staircases. The neoclassical building dates back to the 19th century. The Teatro Massimo was the location for some scenes of the film “The Godfather” in which the godfather Michael Corleone attended the debut of his son in Pietro Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana”.
Enjoy our music package with a magnificent performance and an exclusive leisure program in Palermo and Sicily. Choose a performance from the extensive program of operas, concerts and ballets and select between the essential package and add individual services that we offer with the superior program.

Teatro Massimo Palermo

The Teatro Massimo, Sicily’s largest and most prestigious opera house, provides the perfect venue for this avant-garde work, with its grand architecture and rich cultural history enhancing the opera’s apocalyptic atmosphere. Situated in the heart of Palermo, the theater is an iconic destination for anyone seeking to explore the artistic and cultural soul of the city. A visit to Teatro Massimo for *Le Grand Macabre* also offers the chance to discover Sicily’s vibrant capital, renowned for its stunning architecture, ancient history, and culinary delights. From strolling through the bustling streets of the historic center to sampling traditional Sicilian cuisine, a trip to Palermo becomes an all-encompassing cultural experience. This production, led by conductor Omer Meir Wellber and directed by Barbora Horáková, promises to be a visually stunning and thought-provoking event, with Thilo Ullrich’s imaginative set designs and Eva-Maria Van Acker’s innovative costumes bringing Ligeti’s fantastical vision to life. The cast, featuring Zachary Altman as Nekrotzar and Dan Karlström as Piet the Pot, among others, is poised to deliver a memorable performance that resonates with the opera’s dark humor and poignant reflections on mortality.

History of the Opera

“Le Grand Macabre”, composed by György Ligeti, premiered in 1978 at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm. Based on Michel de Ghelderode’s absurdist play “La balade du grand macabre”, the opera presents a nightmarish world on the brink of apocalypse, where a motley collection of characters confront the impending arrival of Nekrotzar, who claims to be the harbinger of doom. Ligeti’s composition breaks away from traditional operatic structure, embracing a variety of musical influences, from Renaissance madrigals to modernist dissonance, in a manner that reflects the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the story. The work was initially conceived in a German-language version, with subsequent revisions and translations, including the widely performed 1996 English version, which introduced significant changes in orchestration and text. “Le Grand Macabre” has been staged in various major opera houses around the world, each time challenging audiences with its mix of absurd comedy, grotesque imagery, and underlying philosophical themes. It remains one of the few “anti-operas” to have found a place in the standard repertoire, thanks to its audacious approach to both music and drama.

The Artists and Creative Team

Music • György Ligeti
Conductor • Omer Meir Wellber
Assistant Conductor • Yael Kareth
Director • Barbora Horáková
Scene Designs • Thilo Ullrich
Costume Designs • Eva-Maria Van Acker
Video • Adrià Reixach
Assistant Director • Antonella Cozzolino
Lighting Designs • Michael Bauer

Cast

Nekrotzar • Zachary Altman
Piet the Pot • Dan Karlström
Amando • Maya Gour
Amanda • Magdaléna Hebousse
Astradamors • Karl Huml
Mescalina • Helena Rasker
Venus/Chied of the Gepopo • Holly Flack
Prince Go-Go • Karl Laquit
White-party Minister • Daniel Jenz
Black-party Minister • Michal Marhold
Ruffiack • Cosimo Diano
Schobiack • Federico Cucinotta
Schabernack • Antonio Corbisiero

Teatro Massimo Orchestra and Chorus
Chorus Master • Salvatore Punturo

A Teatro Massimo New Production

Booking Process

Music trip to Sicily with premium tickets for the performance LE GRAND MACABRE at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo.
The travel package contains 3 days with 2 overnights in a hotel in Palermo and will be composed according to your wishes. You can select between Essential and Superior Package and request more overnights and a following program to explore Sicily.

Each travel package will be composed according to your wishes. Follow the booking process:

Select a Date
Press “Add to cart” and “Send Request”
When we receive your booking request, you will get an individual offer with some hotels to choose from. Only after your decision, we send you a travel contract to confirm the booking.
Description of the Essential and Superior Package