# Blog #1, a Ligeti opera and a Liszt Symphony



## Xenakiboy (May 8, 2016)

Xenakiboy said:


> I've been listening to Ligeti's Le Grande Macabre and Liszt's Faust Symphony on heavy rotation recently.
> Both works are a marvel to behold; Macabre is so delicately composed, showing a precise idea of the interaction between the characters and the instruments. But the humor in it is some of the most plain awesome I've seen since Zappa and Kagel. Some of the hilarious quotes, that would probably be censored too with "**" symbols, is oddly inspiring. The opera is hilarious and has a large element of satire. The amazing thing is that it doesn't come off to me like satire, its a surreal story that is a load of fun.
> This opera has given me a new love for Ligeti!!
> The Liszt's Faust Symphony is like a taste-test of the 20th century, in a way. When I hear it, I can't help thinking "that's Schoenberg" or "that's Bartok" or "that's Mahler". It isn't a bad thing, it's like another Grosso Fugue to me; a prelude to the future. Though, like Grosso that future has already been.
> I liked Liszt already, his piano works are some of the most impressive I've seen, but this Symphony has given me something to be perplexed by!


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