György Ligeti (1923-2006)

Started by bhodges, April 06, 2007, 06:55:57 AM

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Guido

Just listened to his magnificent horn trio - I am enjoying discovering this composer so very much.
Geologist.

The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

Tahar Mouslim

#141
Quote from: MDL on August 28, 2009, 01:49:35 AM
There's an excellent full-page article about Le Grand Macabre in today's Guardian. Whoo-hoo!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/aug/27/le-grand-macabre-gyorgy-ligeti


Tom Service
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 27 August 2009 22.45 BST

ENO's new production of Le Grand Macabre. Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive

It takes all of about five seconds before you realise that Hungarian composer György Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre is an opera of the unexpected. The piece starts with a prelude – a conventional enough idea, except that instead of being played by the orchestra, it's scored for 12 car horns, performed by the hands and feet of three percussionists. It's a surreal coup de musique that starts Le Grand Macabre on its absurdist journey, in which you meet a perennially pissed antihero called Piet the Pot, a sado- masochistic astronomer, a pair of sex- obsessed lovers, a layabout prince, and a couple of preening, pernicious politicians. All of them are subject to the whims of Nekrotzar, the despotic Grand Macabre himself, who has come to visit annihilation on the people of Breughelland, "the entirely run-down but nevertheless carefree and thriving principality" in which the opera is set. Nekrotzar doesn't succeed, however, as Piet gets him drunk, and instead of commanding the minions of hell to raze Breughelland to the ground, he misses his own apocalypse and falls off a rocking horse.

Ligeti wrote his mock-apocalyptic opera in the 1970s, and, three years after his death, the piece has its first UK production for 27 years at English National Opera in London. Le Grand Macabre is Ligeti's only opera, it's the longest piece he ever wrote, and it's one of the few postwar operas to have earned a firm place in the repertoires of opera companies, with more than 30 productions since its premiere. The opera's wild, scatological humour, its grotesque fantasy, biting satire, and above all, the directness and invention of its music make it one of the most riotous experiences you can have in an opera house.

But the significance of Le Grand Macabre isn't just that it's the most successful piece of music theatre by any avant-garde composer. It's also that, with typically elliptical humour, Ligeti holds up a mirror to late-20th-century society, politics, and relationships, and the image it throws back is full of unpleasant truths that still resonate today: politicians from the Black and White parties whose policies are interchangeable, a docile and selfish populace, the vaunting ambition of humourless bureaucrats, the seduction of morbid, millennial fantasies – it's all there.

Yet if you rewind to the mid-60s, when the opera was first commissioned by Royal Swedish Opera, the question is why Ligeti would want to write an opera at all. For any self-respecting modernist composer of Ligeti's generation (he was born in 1923), an opera house was the last place you wanted to be seen. At that stage, avant-garde musicians, spearheaded by Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen, shunned opera as a form stultified by convention and crippled by artistic conservatism, an emblem of the old musical order they had spent their compositional lives trying to dismantle.

Ligeti knew both Stockhausen and Boulez. He escaped to the west from Budapest after the October uprising of 1956, hiding from the Soviets under postbags in a train carriage, and ended up working with Stockhausen in his electronic studio in Cologne. He met Boulez at the summer schools for new music in Darmstadt, where as a lecturer and writer he exposed contradictions in Boulez's compositions and theories, resulting in bitterness between them that took decades to heal. Ligeti's own music put him on a different course to these two masters of avant-garde music. His central problem with both was their use of pre-compositional systems. When I interviewed him in 2003, Ligeti described Stockhausen's approach as "like a Soviet five-year plan. He has to have this planification. Nobody in Hungary would think this way."

Ligeti the man and the musician resisted ideological doctrines in all their forms. He grew up as a Hungarian Jew in what was then Romanian Transylvania, and was the only member of his family not to be transported to the concentration camps. Only his mother survived. In Budapest after the war, he found one ideological nightmare replaced by another as the Soviets took control, and then, in the west, met a group of composers who were deliberately shackling themselves to musical and compositional dogmas. It seemed crazy to Ligeti.

All of this affects Le Grand Macabre, which teems with characters that satirise the people, politics, and systems that terrorised Ligeti's life: there's a chief of the secret police called the Gepopo, a part sung by a soprano that's full of hysterical, nonsensical violence, and Nekrotzar himself is a brilliantly drawn parody of the death-obsessed dictators of the 20th century. Ligeti's synopsis describes him as a "sinister, shady, demagogic figure, humourless, pretentious, and with an unshakeable sense of mission". The lugubrious, self-important music Ligeti writes for him sends him up just as ruthlessly as the moment in the story when his dreams of genocide go up in smoke.

The text is based on a work by the little-known Flemish writer Michel de Ghelderode, La Balade du Grand Macabre. Ligeti, looking for something "cruel and frightening based on the pictures of Breughel and Bosch", could not have found better source material in De Ghelderode's grotesque cavalcade of a play. With his co-librettist, Michael Meschke, who also directed the first production, Ligeti updated the drama's bawdiness and brutality, writing lines like "Stupid dickhead make your prick red!" They originally called the two lovers Spermando and Clitoria (they're now less offensively titled Amando and Amanda), and together they created a text that sends up such operatic conventions as virtuosic coloratura arias and comic ensembles.

But that's nothing to what the music does. Ligeti's score is a gleeful two fingers to virtually every major opera composer – the prelude for car-horns mimics Monteverdi, there are passages that send up Mozart, parody Rossini, pilfer from Offenbach and take the mickey out of Verdi – but it's also a gesture of defiance to the ideologues of the avant-garde. If there was any possibility of writing music for the opera house in the late-20th-century, the end-point seemed to have been reached in Mauricio Kagel's unclassifiable stage-work, Staatstheater. "A masterpiece of musical anti-theatre," Ligeti called it when he saw this piece of non-linear narrative and gesture in 1971. In contrast, what Ligeti was doing in Le Grand Macabre was composing an "anti-anti-opera", as his biographer Richard Steinitz says. And "since two successive 'antis' cancel each other out, an 'anti-anti-opera' must be … well, opera!".


And that's the point about Le Grand Macabre: it works brilliantly in the opera house. Its dramatic and musical grotesqueries aren't just there to create a clever-clever contemporary parody, they create a work that has a complete expressive world. The music, chaotic on the surface, is rigorously controlled by Ligeti, nowhere more so than in the final Passacaglia, a severe baroque form that is used to stage the work's moral: "Fear not to die, good people all!/ No one knows when his hour will fall!/ And when it comes, then let it be/ Farewell, till then in cheerfulness!"

Ligeti was almost as precise in his vision of what Le Grand Macabre should look like on stage as he was about how it should sound, but although he was pleased with the work's success, he saw only one production that he felt did the piece justice. (Richard Steinitz reports that no version of the opera has ever realised Ligeti's incredibly detailed stage directions.) The nadir came in 1997, with the Salzburg premiere of the revised version of the opera, directed by Peter Sellars. Ligeti dissociated himself from the staging, a wilful updating of Le Grand Macabre to a post-nuclear future. Sellars's production was due to reopen the Royal Opera House a decade ago, but Covent Garden cancelled it at the last minute.

So will ENO fare any better this time around? The signs are good. The show is produced by Catalan company La Fura dels Baus, and premiered in Brussels, to rave reviews. A teaser on YouTube reveals some of what's in store for London audiences: a gigantic maquette of a reclining woman, in whose innards and out of whose orifices the drama is staged. It looks like a properly Boschian interpretation of the piece, a garden of earthly delights and disgusts that Ligeti himself might finally have endorsed.

Le Grand Macabre opens at English National Opera, London on 17 September. Box office: 0871 911 0200.



I just want to come back to this message, because:

- the opening at English National Opera starts this week,

- I saw the same production in Bruxelles, at La Monnaie, in March 2009.

This production by Catalan company La Fura del Baus is absolutely extraordinary. They understood all the dimensions of this opera, which is surrealist, grand - guignol, but also a farce and a modern singspiel ( Le Grand Macabre is the equivalent of die Zauberflöte of the end of the XX century...just much more interesting ;D)

The 1997 production by Peter Sellars was gloomy, dark, but badly missed the singspiel & farce dimensions in my mind. And, as a matter of fact,  the composer was very critical of this production.

I missed the production by Roland Topor, which was the one Ligeti preferred: too bad, this amazing composer passed away without witnessing the superb work of La Fura del Baus.

The real question is about the two different versions of the opera and does one prefer the 1997 revision to the original 1975 German first draft for the Swedish Opera House?

I both have the Salonen Box and the Wergo live rendition made during the premiere in German & I must say I prefer the original version, much more radical, although being much more busy & confused.

With that said, I wouldn't live without both of them nowadays!

bhodges

A great review of ENO's Le Grand Macabre by Colin Clarke on MusicWeb, with two terrific photos.

--Bruce

MDL

I saw Le Grand Macabre last night at the ENO and thoroughly enjoyed it. The staging is amazing: the action takes place on and around a huge statue, which is frequently used as a screen for startlingly effective projections. Each half of the evening opened with a short film in which a woman collapses after a junk-food binge, which segued very neatly into the live action. The ENO band were on superb form. My only gripe was that the text wasn't always audible, even though I had a really good seat in the stalls. I know the opera pretty well, so it wasn't a problem for me, and surtitles were provided.

A great evening, then. And any opera in which a spacehopper plays a prominent part is a thing to be cherished!

Guido

#144
I went to see that astonishing production of Le Grande Macabre last night - if you haven't been, and you possibly can I urge everyone to go - there's just one more night (Oct 9th).

James I can see why this wouldn't work on just a recording - it's so visual and theatrical - You really need to see it on the stage (like most opera).

There's a moment when the huge human figure that comprises the set has its skeleton projected onto it whilst it is rotating - it is astonishing as the thing looks like a 3D skeleton at that point, the projection changing at precicely the right speed so that the illusion works from the audiences perspective. The most astonishing video art I have ever seen. (You can see a still of this in the review that Bruce posted above - the second picture).

Geologist.

The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

DavidW

Is there a dvd for that opera?  I've been looking but I can't find anything. :-\

MDL

Quote from: DavidW on October 04, 2009, 08:18:34 AM
Is there a dvd for that opera?  I've been looking but I can't find anything. :-\

Nothing that I'm aware of. Sulk.

bhodges

#147
Great review of the New York Philharmonic's production of Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre, led by Alan Gilbert (whom I heard got the loudest ovation of the evening). 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/arts/music/29macabre.html

I'm going tomorrow night, and getting a little too excited.  ;D

Update: And check out this photo on Alex Ross's blog.  (Click to enlarge.)

http://www.therestisnoise.com/2010/05/ligeti-sells-out.html

--Bruce

(poco) Sforzando

Quote from: bhodges on May 28, 2010, 10:32:52 AM
Great review of the New York Philharmonic's production of Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre, led by Alan Gilbert (whom I heard got the loudest ovation of the evening). 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/arts/music/29macabre.html

Yes, that's just about right, and will save me the trouble of writing a review. The one reservation I had was that the stage extension was built to the left side of the hall (stage right), so that viewers on the opposite side of the hall (such as myself) had to crane their necks to see the action. I don't know why the extension couldn've have been built stage center. But this was more bothersome in the first (shorter) act than the second. On the other hand, our side got a close-up look at the projectionists and their paraphenalia of miniature models and cameras, which was in some ways just as interesting. A team of 5-6 stage hands, led by a spectral figure in wrap-around glasses and a long brown leather coat (who occasionally participated in the action), performed all their hundreds of intricate cues apparently from memory. And the projections, which dominate the back of the stage framed by a huge oval with starbursts emanating in all directions, were consistently brilliant (as were the costumes - most strikingly, the countertenor singing Prince Gogo, a tiny young man, is costumed in what can only be called a huge globe to emphasize the character's gluttony).

As music, this isn't the best thing Ligeti ever did in my opinion, but as a stagework it never lets up, and much of Act Two especially was genuinely hilarious. There was not a weak link in the cast, orchestra, conducting, or staging. Even the troublesome Avery Fisher Hall sounded great from my location (orchestra N14). An absolute triumph for Alan Gilbert and the NYP, and let's hope this is only one of many. Forget about tickets if you don't have one already, but if they do this again, don't hesitate.
"I don't know what sforzando means, though it clearly means something."

MDL

Quote from: Sforzando on May 28, 2010, 02:43:16 PM

As music, this isn't the best thing Ligeti ever did in my opinion,


I agree. His Requiem remains (to my admittedly amateur ears) Ligeti's masterpiece and one of the most astounding works of the last century.

bhodges

Quote from: Sforzando on May 28, 2010, 02:43:16 PM
Yes, that's just about right, and will save me the trouble of writing a review. The one reservation I had was that the stage extension was built to the left side of the hall (stage right), so that viewers on the opposite side of the hall (such as myself) had to crane their necks to see the action. I don't know why the extension couldn've have been built stage center. But this was more bothersome in the first (shorter) act than the second. On the other hand, our side got a close-up look at the projectionists and their paraphenalia of miniature models and cameras, which was in some ways just as interesting. A team of 5-6 stage hands, led by a spectral figure in wrap-around glasses and a long brown leather coat (who occasionally participated in the action), performed all their hundreds of intricate cues apparently from memory. And the projections, which dominate the back of the stage framed by a huge oval with starbursts emanating in all directions, were consistently brilliant (as were the costumes - most strikingly, the countertenor singing Prince Gogo, a tiny young man, is costumed in what can only be called a huge globe to emphasize the character's gluttony).

As music, this isn't the best thing Ligeti ever did in my opinion, but as a stagework it never lets up, and much of Act Two especially was genuinely hilarious. There was not a weak link in the cast, orchestra, conducting, or staging. Even the troublesome Avery Fisher Hall sounded great from my location (orchestra N14). An absolute triumph for Alan Gilbert and the NYP, and let's hope this is only one of many. Forget about tickets if you don't have one already, but if they do this again, don't hesitate.

Great comments...

After last night, I wish I could have gone to all 3 performances, as well as the final dress rehearsal.  There was so much going on, it was impossible to catch everything in the score, and Douglas Fitch did a brilliant job with the visuals.  (I also thought it would have been fun to sit overlooking the tech crew.)

Am still a bit overwhelmed by it all, but eager to see it and hear it again.  And heartiest kudos to Alan Gilbert, for thinking of doing this piece in the first place. 

--Bruce

not edward

#151
Quote from: Sforzando on May 28, 2010, 02:43:16 PM
As music, this isn't the best thing Ligeti ever did in my opinion
Agreed too. On the other hand, Ligeti at something short of his best is still music of a quality that most composers could only dream of emulating.

Very pleasing to hear that all the performances sold out. Though judging by the reactions I've seen to Ligeti from people not particularly enthusiastic about new music, I can't say I'm surprised. It seems to me that his music is rapidly becoming part of the mainstream repertory (I've read a couple of articles which suggested he thought his music would be forgotten after his death--how wrong he was).
"I don't at all mind actively disliking a piece of contemporary music, but in order to feel happy about it I must consciously understand why I dislike it. Otherwise it remains in my mind as unfinished business."
-- Aaron Copland, The Pleasures of Music

False_Dmitry

Quote from: James on May 29, 2010, 09:08:41 AM
It's hard to believe that one of the most staged & successful Operas of the 2nd half of the 20th century hasn't yet.

A little bird tells me the problem lies in the conditions imposed by Ligeti's publishers for such a recording (viz a royalty payment that no production company views as realistic).  It's a great pity for this issue to stand in the way of a dvd release - but Ligeti wouldn't the last major C20th composer to have his subsequent artistic legacy compromised by the financial aspirations of crasping publishers, heirs, etc.

Guess why there's no DVD of Glass's AKHNATEN, for example? :(  Whatever your views of the piece, it's one of the most-often-staged of late-C20th operas.
____________________________________________________

"Of all the NOISES known to Man, OPERA is the most expensive" - Moliere

bhodges

#153
The NY Philharmonic has put up a few excerpts from last week's performance of Le Grand Macabre.  Here is Barbara Hannigan as Gepopo, along with Anthony Roth Costanzo as Prince Go-Go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-p1utKFxCg

--Bruce

bhodges

Tomorrow night (Thursday) at 9:00 P.M. (EDT), WQXR-FM will broadcast the New York Philharmonic's Le Grand Macabre.  Although I can't predict how it will fare without the visuals, I'm definitely going to listen again.  Here is the link to the broadcast, which can be heard online as well.

--Bruce

bhodges

Quote from: James on June 09, 2010, 02:24:03 PM
I gotta admit ... honestly the visuals gave me douche-chills.

Uh...is that a positive, or a negative?  ???  (First time I've heard that one...maybe I don't get out enough.  ;D)

--Bruce

MDL

#156
Quote from: bhodges on June 09, 2010, 02:33:02 PM
Uh...is that a positive, or a negative?  ???  (First time I've heard that one...maybe I don't get out enough.  ;D)

--Bruce

I'm going to drop it into the office conversation today and see what reaction it gets.

BTW, I can't play the video. I keep getting some message about "friend request" or something.

bhodges

Sorry about the video!  I changed the link so it's not embedded with Flash, so it should work now.  (I have no idea why that "friend" message appeared; it wasn't there when I watched it!)

Anyway, here it is again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-p1utKFxCg

--Bruce


UB

Quote from: bhodges on June 09, 2010, 01:06:48 PM
Tomorrow night (Thursday) at 9:00 P.M. (EDT), WQXR-FM will broadcast the New York Philharmonic's Le Grand Macabre.  Although I can't predict how it will fare without the visuals, I'm definitely going to listen again.  Here is the link to the broadcast, which can be heard online as well.

--Bruce
For those who missed the broadcast you can still listen to it on demand on the NYP site until the 25th of June.
I am not in the entertainment business. Harrison Birtwistle 2010

bhodges

Quote from: UB on June 18, 2010, 11:22:20 AM
For those who missed the broadcast you can still listen to it on demand on the NYP site until the 25th of June.

Oh thanks--I hadn't noticed!  :D   And I actually want to listen to it again.  So far, it's getting better each time.

--Bruce