Le Grand Macabre is the third and only major stage-work by Hungarian composer György Ligeti, following his Absurdist sung "mimodramas" Aventures and Nouvelles aventures (1965).

György Sándor Ligeti was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century" and "one of the most innovative and influential among progressive figures of his time".