In December 2022, La Monnaie presented the world premiere of On purge bébé!, Philippe Boesmans' final opera. The recording of this mischievous one-acter, conducted by Bassem Akiki, is now out on the Fuga Libera label.
Inspired by Georges Feydeau’s vaudeville, On purge bébé ! tells the story of the all-too-common troubles in the Follavoine family. Just as Monsieur is about to close a deal with the French army for his ‘unbreakable’ chamber pots, Madame launches into a spiel about their tyrannical son Toto’s constipation. It is the beginning of a madcap day in which both chamber pots and petit bourgeois façade meet their end.
The release has already received praise from the music press for "the perfect rendering of the richness of the score" and the "great theatrical commitment" of the cast, led by Jean-Sébastien Bou, Jodie Devos and Denzil Delaere.
Discover the recording on CD, or via download and stream.
The International Opera Awards have just been presented at the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw. The decades-long work of our social programme was honoured in the Equal Opportunities & Impact category.
The nominations for the International Opera Awards 2023 have been announced! In recognition of our Green Opera project and the social programme 'A Bridge between two worlds', La Monnaie is shortlisted in the categories 'Sustainability' and 'Equal Opportunities & Impact'.
On Thursday 21 September, Peter de Caluwe, General and Artistic Director of La Monnaie, received the Ordine al Merito during a ceremony at the Italian Embassy in Brussels. This award, one of the highest honours of the Italian Republic, is presented by President Sergio Mattarella for special merits in the fields of the arts, economy, public service and social, philanthropic or humanitarian activities.
