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 21 November, the International Opera Awards will recognise the artists, productions and most innovative projects that marked the international opera scene in 2026. La Monnaie has received two nominations: the first for the opera Medusa and the second for the Green Opera project.
The former General and Artistic Director of La Monnaie will succeed Markus Hinterhäuser and take up his new position in Salzburg on 1 October, following the 2027 Festival edition.
This year, Mobility Week coincides with the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Brussels metro network. La Monnaie, which promotes sustainable mobility, has joined in the STIB’s celebrations by organising a pop-up fashion show at De Brouckère station on 15 September.
