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.
On 29 July and 1 August 2026, the world’s most prestigious opera festival will welcome the La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra and its Music Director Alain Altinoglu for two concert performances of Massenet’s Werther.
La Monnaie Chorus Master Emmanuel Trenque has been awarded the Médaille du Rayonnement Culturel by La Renaissance Française.
On December 14th at 3 p.m., two singers from the MM Academy and the Cassandra Choir will take part in the annual charity Christmas concert organised by the be.Source Foundation at the Sablon.
