DEATH MIRRORED IN CONTEMPORARY MUSIC: Winking at Nekrotzar
Elizabeth ASKREN, Ph.D.
Cheffe d'orchestre, directrice artistique, culturepreneuse, professeur
“The Future will be the child of the Past and the Present”
– George Crumb
“Who could have imagined back in 2018, when selecting the topic of the next edition of the festival (‘Death mirrored in contemporary music’) that the world in 2020 would look so much like Breughelland from Le Grand Macabre?”
- Dr. Bianca ?iplea Teme?, Artistic Director, International Ligeti Festival
When Dr. Bianca Temes chose the theme of her festival’s 3rd edition, little did she know how eerily à propos it would be for 2020’s current events.
Taking place online now through November 1st, the International Ligeti Festival is the fruit of Dr. Temes' unwavering passion and dedication to showcase the works of the great Transylvanian composer, Gy?rgy Ligeti . It presents an international musicology conference via zoom (Thanatos in Contemporary Music: from the Tragic to the Grotesque”), as well as inspired, streamed performances (“In Paradisum”, “Crossing the Styx; Whispers from the Underworld”, “Mysteries of the Macabre… Unmasked”).
I was originally asked to curate and conduct the “Mysteries of the Macabre… Unmasked” concert with the extraordinary Sara Hershkowitz, Soprano. Circumstances did not allow us to perform together this time, to my great regret. I took great pleasure nevertheless in composing the concert’s program notes, which can be found published on the festival’s website: https://www.ligetifestival.ro/.
In this extraordinary year of turbulence, isolation, and dread, the International Ligeti Festival, from its leadership to its remarkable roster of scholars and performers must be commended and recognized for their commitment to promoting meaningful artistic expression and important academic research.