György Ligeti's Mysteries Of The Macabre

The interpretation of a classical opera as a humorous, satirical, and wholly grotesque perversion of the genre is something very rarely seen. György Ligeti presents this stylistic humor in his only opera, La grand macabre, which tells the perplexing story of borderline death and possible destruction of the fictional country of Brueghelland and its citizens. “Mysteries of the Macabre” is a three-part aria found in the second act, which features the anxious Chief of Secret Political Police, who at this point of the opera is trying to inform the young prince of Brueghelland that “Death” is coming to their country. The comedic nature can immediately be recognized from the seemingly disorderly music and poor communication from the Chief, who sings in code and uses unrelated phrases. The piece, however, becomes more grotesque, both hideously and humorously, as unusual instruments are heard from the orchestra and moments such as paper ripping and manic laughter become important themes. Ligeti was born and raised in what
The image itself, though humorously grotesque in the general idea of how opera should operate, relates to Ligeti’s past, questioning true command from those who were assigned to protect, the meaning behind their secret messages, and what was truly understood compared to what was left in the chaotic mess. Barbara Hannigan’s performances of the piece presents “perfection” in Ligeti’s work not by tonality and aural aesthetic, but instead by drawing on her resources to perform the piece in a way it simply cannot sound wrong. Instead of there being a concern for a “wrong note,” which few people would recognize without a score in hand, listeners are given the chance to uncover a story, keeping themselves curious of what may come