“If a piece is long, arduous, violent, sombre and hasn’t been performed for at least one-and-a-half years, they call up Olivier Py.” The French stage director surely sees the humour in it all. Truth is, his intense, timeless productions have been a major contribution to the reappraisal of the French ‘grand opéra’. In this video portrait, Py reveals his artistic credo and looks back on his previous stagings at La Monnaie.
A sense of style, an eye for detail and, above all, many hours of monk's work: that is what it took our Workshops to produce the opulent costumes, hats and accessories of Les Huguenots. Catch a glimpse of these magnificent creations.
An overwhelming mass spectacle that keeps you glued to your seat for five hours with its historical tableaux, ballets, choral scenes, musical inventiveness, and intense drama and romance: Les Huguenots is, without a doubt, one of the greatest blockbusters in the entire history of opera. In 2011, La Monnaie helped its revival with a successful production that you can now rediscover.
Whoever said 'Rome wasn't built in a day' must have worked in the opera industry. Constructing the set for Les Huguenots is nothing less than a titanic work. Let our Head of Stage Marcel Maus treat you to a look behind the scenes, where his team not only puts up the set, but also makes it move in perfect unison with the music.
A constant certainty for every French grand opéra: its impressive ballet scenes! Les Huguenots is - fortunately - no exception. Follow our dancers and choreographer Daniel Izzo as they prepare their contemporary choreography with a poetic-macabre touch.
