In October, our production of Shell Shock was released on CD.
Whether you call it shell shock or post-traumatic stress disorder, war creates serious psychological rounds. A hundred years after the outbreak of the Great War, the Belgian composer Nicholas Lens has written a dance-oratorio on this theme, using lyrics by the well-known Australian rock singer Nick Cave. In twelve poems or canto he evokes the anonymous protagonists of the war in a highly personal and fluent style: soldiers, mothers, orphans, prisoners, etc.
The world premiere of this production – and incidentally the very first opera staging by choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui – took place on 14 October 2014 at La Monnaie in commemoration of World War I.
In October 2016, an audiorecording was released on CD by the label Universal Music Company.
>> The CD is available for purchase at Standaard Boekhandel, Proxis.com and on Apple iTunes.
>> Listen to a fragment on YouTube.
From 3 June to 22 September, La Monnaie and Muntpunt are transforming Rue Royale—the small street between their buildings—into a vibrant summer spot. A long table will serve as a welcoming meeting place where locals and passers-by can read, have lunch, play board games, or simply soak up the sun.
To mark Pride Week, La Monnaie decorates its façade in rainbow colours, to show its unwavering support for the LGBTQIA+ community.
A real feast for the eyes and ears in 2023, La Monnaie’s production of Tchaikovsky’s most intimate and celebrated opera, directed by Laurent Pelly and conducted by Alain Altinoglu, is now available on DVD, Blu-ray and streaming via Naxos.
