The central concern of this study is to present the issue of the grotesque in the realm of music. The opera "The Nose," written during the cultural upheaval of the 1920s, serves as an exceptionally suitable object of study, suggesting an interdisciplinary approach due to its unique characteristics. Based on literary discussions of the concept of the grotesque, the fundamental issues of its application in the musical field are first examined. The subsequent analysis of the opera and the following look at significant milestones in its staging history allow for a concrete representation of the problem of the musically grotesque. An appendix with excerpts from historically significant Soviet-Russian texts complements the investigation.