Existential irony and macabre grotesque in György Ligeti’s opera Le Grand Macabre
Abstract
This article examines György Ligeti’s opera Le Grand Macabre through the lens of existential irony and macabre grotesque. The author explores the composer’s distinctive artistic thinking, manifest in the deformation of traditional genre models, intertextuality, and ironic play with cultural codes. The opera’s treatment of death is shown to reject tragic pathos, transforming the theme into a grotesque celebration of life. The article reveals the specific features of postmodern reinterpretation of apocalyptic themes, where the fear of death is overcome through carnivalesque inversion and the dismantling of eschatological expectations.
About the Author
M. O. Andreeva
Vaganova Ballet Academy
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Postgraduate Student
2, Zodchego Rossi St., Saint Petersburg, 191011
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Review
For citations:
Andreeva M.O. Existential irony and macabre grotesque in György Ligeti’s opera Le Grand Macabre. Bulletin of Vaganova Ballet Academy. 2025;(3):115-124. (In Russ.)
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