LA MONNAIE / DE MUNT

From his personal connection with Rome to the influences of Caravaggio and Pier Paolo Pasolini. From the way he approaches the main characters to the inspiration of the moment in the rehearsal room ... The Spanish stage director Rafael R. Villalobos guides you through the latest La Monnaie production.

Colossal images of barking dogs, naked bodies, a grieving Mary Magdalene, and an emblematic beheading scene. Spanish painter Santiago Ydáñez brought out his brushes for our production of Tosca. We asked him how these newly created works came to be.

You will immediately recognise this musical fragment, with one of the most recognisable and quoted melodies in the entire history of music. Peer Gynt fantasises about a visit to a troll, the mountain king, who, seated on his throne, rules over a people of gnomes and goblins. According to Grieg himself, it is the most idiosyncratic Norwegian work ever written.

For her legendary, often visceral stagings over the last four decades, she has scaled all heights and plumbed all depths of the human soul. This has earned her cult status and recognition as one of the all-time greats of German theatre. Discover Andrea Breth and her productions at La Monnaie.

Director Andrea Breth, an icon of the European theatre scene, gives her vision on Britten's chamber opera and clarifies from what angle she approached the piece in her staging.

New creations, reinvented classics and the return of iconic productions, all together no less than 12 operas; but also the 250th anniversary of our Symphony Orchestra, the full expressive spectrum of the voice in our recitals and the best of dance: this is the La Monnaie season 2021-22, as presented by General Director Peter de Caluwe.

The story of this opera, summarised scene by scene by dramaturge Klaus Bertisch.

In this introductory video conductor Ben Glassberg explains how Britten translates the titular "screw" in his music, General and Artistic Director Peter de Caluwe lays out how this project came to be, and scenographer Raimund Orfeo Voigt offers insight into the concept behind his ingenious set design. 

After his interpretation of the title role in Handel’s Orlando in 2012, countertenor Bejun Mehta returns to La Monnaie for an original recital centred on the different forms that love can take. We asked the world-renowned countertenor to answer the following questionnaire briefly and boldly.

While rehearsing for our double concert dedicated to the best moments of Rossini’s Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra and Donizetti’s La favorita, Italian primo tenore Enea Scala took a moment to give us his vision of bel canto.

In between rehearsals for our belcanto double bill The Queen and her Favourite and The King and his Favourite, conductor Francesco Lanzillotta took the time to discuss at length, with passion and a touch of humor the music of Rossini and Donizetti, two composers close to his heart. A conversation about the importance of the connection between text and music, about high notes, about dying on stage…

On the occasion of his upcoming recital, we asked tenor Julian Prégardien to answer the following questionnaire honestly and succinctly.