Le Grand Macabre

The central subject of the opera is mortality and its central character is Death, in the form of the character Nekrotzar. Set in an imaginary Breughelland, a country derived from Breughel's paintings, the opera shows a drunken common man, Piet the Pot, and the sinister Grand Macabre, Nekrotzar, who appears to announce the coming end of the world to two lovers, Amanda and Amando. Nekrotzar then kills Mescalin, who has desired a more energetic sexual partner than her astrologer husband. She accompanies him and Piet to the palace of the young Prince Go- Go, scene of conflicting politicians.