At la Monnaie, we are aware of the urgency of the climate challenge and want to ensure sustainability is part of all our institutional practices. In the 2018-19 season, we initiated the 'Green Opera'project to develop an eco-responsible production model. Project manager Sophie Cornet and Etienne Andreys (head of our set workshops) present some of the spearpoints of the project.
From the scene with the seductive flower girls in the garden of the sorcerer Klingsor to the heavenly voices in the mighty finale: Parsifal offers the ladies of our Chorus music that is as beautiful as it is difficult to sing. We followed soprano Annelies Kerstens and guest chorus master Johannes Knecht during the preparations.
“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.
For the first time in human history, we are contemplating the end of our species. How does that affect our experience of a requiem, of beauty? In this video, director Romeo Castellucci and conductor Raphaël Pichon reflect on the questions raised by Mozart's last, unfinished score.
Belgian composer Philippe Boesmans (born in Tongeren, May 17, 1936), died in Brussels on Sunday evening after a short illness. We are deeply saddened by the passing of this artist who was so dear to our house and we offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
