LE GRAND MACABRE Will Come to the Vienna State Opera

The Vienna State Opera will present Le Grand Macabre as part of its March 2026 season, with one performance on March 25. The production brings György Ligeti’s singular and provocative opera back to the main stage in a staging that blends absurdity, satire, and apocalyptic spectacle.

Running approximately two and a half hours with one intermission, the opera is performed in German and is recommended for audiences aged 12 and up. The performance begins at 7:00 p.m., with a pre-performance introduction held 30 minutes prior in the Gustav Mahler Hall.

Widely regarded as Ligeti’s only opera and a landmark of 20th-century music theater, Le Grand Macabre offers a darkly comic exploration of mortality and human excess. Premiering in 1978, the work has become a staple of the international repertoire for its bold, unconventional score and theatrical imagination.

Set in the fictional land of Breughelland, the story follows Nekrotzar—Death itself—who arrives to announce the imminent destruction of the world. As he encounters a cast of eccentric, indulgent characters, his apocalyptic mission unravels in unexpected ways, ultimately transforming into a surreal meditation on survival and the human condition.

Ligeti envisioned the opera as a “total fusion of action and music,” combining exaggerated orchestration, unusual sound effects, and theatrical spectacle into a deliberately chaotic yet deeply expressive work.

This production is directed by Jan Lauwers, known for his visually striking and interdisciplinary approach to performance. The revival is conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado, leading a cast that includes Georg Nigl as Nekrotzar, Sarah Aristidou as Gepopo/Venus, and Xavier Sabata as Prince Go-Go.

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