Vienna is slashing prices for unsellable Ligeti
OperaThe Vienna State Opera is finding it hard to fill seats for one of the most hilarious modern operas. Patrons are receiving the following offer:
Dear audience!
In the past few years, you have visited one or more 20th-century operas at our venue. We are delighted to inform you that in November, an extraordinary new production and premiere will be featured on the schedule at the Vienna State Opera: Le Grand Macabre by György Ligeti.
As a lover of 20th-century operas, you can receive a 30% discount on a maximum of 2 tickets, for all available categories using the promo code macabre, for the following dates of Le Grand Macabre:
14 / 17 / 19 & 23 November, 2023
A new production of the same opera opens in Frankfurt on November 5, the first by incoming music director Thomas Guggeis. No discounts, no short-selling, no apologies for great art.
This is macabre …
What is the point to write this? Complete normal marketing action. Many theatres, orchestras and operahouses work like this. The question is: why are museums with modern art full and the opera public in many places is so conservative that they prefer to see 10 times Tosca than a classic piece of the 20th century. Why is the exposition of American Pop Art or Mark Rothko full and Le Grand Maccabre empty?
Could it be about the music?
perhaps because you can look at something or not (and pass by) whereas one has to listen (firmly positioned on the assigned seat) and watch (in theory) without an immediate chance to escape (without the possibility to talk and reassure each other how “artsy” everyone is – or make fun out of the atrocities and blobs called “art”)
Probably they think it isn’t worth their time — forget about the money.
Despite a variety of productions over the years, this opera has never really caught on. Message received?
I don’t think this is a question of musical conservatism per se. Ligeti was one of the daring figures 60 or 70 years ago. All of those figures have passed on although advocates wishing to conserve that movement in the present day continue to attempt revivals from time to time. Nothing wrong with that in principle.
Audiences flocked to Puccini’s type of modernism from the start. Continued revivals do very well. Ligeti not so much. Therein lies a key. Maybe Puccini has qualities that are lacking in Ligeti. Whatever could those be?
Just a different musical language like Swahili is different from French but not inferior!
I’d like to reverse the question; why is an exposition of Rothko and American Pop art full? Surely much of this is ephemera. Rothko’s blank screens – one colour on top, one on the bottom – drew my laughter decades ago when the screed which accompanied the ‘paintings’ with ….”Rosko denies the existence of a horizon line”. I showed my 14 year old English students this in a unit on Persuasive Language – as a classic example of advertising/marketing hype – and we all had a good laugh!
The piece is brilliant and hugely funny….I played in a production in a small opera house(Heidelberg) 23 years ago,and it was always sold out.I..The production enjoyed cult status….Give me the Ligeti any day over some mawkish and tacky Puccini, or worse,verismo.
Indeed, my first reaction was regret that I could not attend.
Is the day soon coming when all classical music performances will be on two-fers???
Isn’t it standard industry practice to offer unsold tickets at discount price in the weeks leading up to the event? Those tickets have likely been available at full price for over a year dating back when the event was first announced.
Shame. I remember seeing this brilliant opera at ENO a few years back – it was memorably fabulous and hilarious. Perhaps the marketing wasn’t well done or well targeted enough in the first place?
Yes, ENO did a brilliant job with it. I saw it too.
Did they revive it? I recall seeing and enjoying the first run, but it was more than ‘a few years ago’. Early 80s if memory serves. Kudos if they revived it.
Re this: “No discounts, no short-selling, no apologies for great art.”
I see a marketing pitch that offers a discount. No one is selling anything short and no one has apologized for great art. Why the rhetoric?
Le Grande Macabre is tired old Eurotrash schtick.
Conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado? 30% off is not enough.
Vienna is still a very conservative city, and this “Apocalyptic” Burlesque/Farce is “out of tune” with Viennese tradition.
Ask Schönberg. How many productions of Moses und Aaron has there been at the Staatsoper?…