Ligeti’s two-act opera in four scenes, Le grand macabre, is an entertaining, taut example of musical theater residing somewhere between parody and ominous seriousness, between clowning and wisdom. The opera’s hero, Nekrotzar (Dracula), alias Le grand macabre, has not only ambitions to suck blood but also apocalyptic visions: he wants to bring about the end of the world personally (but fails to do so).
This production received the quarterly German Record Critics' Award.

Dieter Weller: baritone (Nekrotzar) / Penelope Walmsley-Clark: soprano (Amanda) / Olive Fredricks: mezzo-soprano (Amando) / Peter Haage: tenor (Piet vom Faß) / Christa Puhlmann-Richter: mezzo-soprano (Mescalina) / Kevin Smith: counter tenor (Fürst Go-Go) / Ude Krekow: bass (Astradamors) / Eirian Davies: soprano (Chef der Geheimpolizei) / Herbert Prikopa: speaking part (Weißer Minister) / Ernst Leopold Strachwitz: speaking part (Schwarzer Minister) / Johann Leutgeb: baritone (Ruffiak) / Ernst Salzer: baritone (Schobiak) / Laszlo Modos: baritone (Schabernack) / ORF-Chor / Arnold Schönberg-Chor / Erwin Ortner: chorus master / Die Gumpoldskirchner Spatzen / Elisabeth Ziegler: chorus master / Symphonieorchester des Österreichischen Rundfunks / Elgar Howarth: conductor