LA MONNAIE / DE MUNT

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.

Fashion and costume designer Jan-Jan Van Essche’s work vibrates between poetry and simplicity. In this video portrait, he talks about what inspired him for Vlaemsch (chez moi).

"What is something of value, and what does not have value?" Set and costume designer Hans Op de Beeck about the new creation Vlaemsch (chez moi), an exploration of the Flemish identity by four contemporary Flemish artists.

In Mystery Sonatas / for Rosa, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker plunges into the mysterious Rosary Sonatas by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber. A brave choice — as the cycle is rarely, if ever, performed in full.

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.

Les Huguenots is the story of an impossible love affair between a Catholic woman and a Protestant man against the backdrop of the French religious wars of the 16th century, with the infamous St Bartholomew’s Day massacre as its lowest point. Read the synopsis of the opera here.

“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.

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.

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.

In anticipation of 'Pinocchio', a team from La Monnaie followed the Belgian composer Philippe Boesmans for more than a year. Together, they took a look at his extraordinary career, from the very beginning in his home town, Tongeren, to the rehearsals for 'Pinocchio' in Aix-en-Provence.