Rued Langgaard's remarkable opera Antikrist explores the decline of Western civilization and critiques the modern ways of living and thinking that are impacting our time more than ever before. Antikrist, which was never performed during the composer's lifetime, combines romantic and contemporary styles to create a score that is both seductive and opulent, while the lack of a conventional plot creates space for an ironic and sarcastic portrayal of the failings of contemporary civilization. Deutsche Oper Berlin's spectacular production was praised by the New York Times as a "riotously colorful, boldly stylized production [in] an almost breathless maelstrom".