Intermezzo

La Monnaie 2013 - 2014 season revealed

La Monnaie may not haul in the big stars, but once again they've managed to come up with some exciting programming for their next season.

Top of my list is Romeo Castellucci's new production of Orphée et Eurydice, a co-production with the Wiener Festwochen to mark the tricentenary of Gluck's birth. Hervé Niquet conducts. (On a separate note, another must-see is Castellucci's fabulous Parsifal, originally produced for La Monnaie and now reprised in Bologna in January 2014.)

Here are the other new productions:

Rigoletto - conductor Carlo Rizzi, director Robert Carsen

Hamlet -  conductor Marc Minkowski,  director Olivier Py

           La Clemenza di Tito - conductor Ludovic Morlot, director Ivo van Hove

C(H)OEURS (opera & dance)  - director/choreographer Alain Platel, conductor Marc Piollet

Jenůfa - conductor Ludovic Morlot, director Alvis Hermanis

Au monde by Philippe Boesmans, a world premiere commissioned by La Monnaie - conductor Patrick Davin, librettist and director Joël Pommerat

Worth a few £59 Eurostar trips I'd say.

Brothel Traviata

Andrea Breth's new production of La traviata for La Monnaie places Violetta in a brothel, the victim of Eastern European sex traffickers. There's an orgy in Act 2, and plucky servant Annina (the redoubtable Carole Wilson) has to give Dr Grenvil a blow job to secure his services.

It's all about the commodification of sex reckons Manuel Brug of Die Welt, who was impressed.

See for yourselves between 5 and 25 January 2013, when the show will be streamed FREE on La Monnaie's web site. Those in continental Europe can catch it a bit sooner; it's shown on Arte Live Web on 15 December.

La Monnaie 2012 - 2013 season

La Monnaie have announced a characteristically adventurous new season for 2012/13, with the theme "an attempt to map human passion". It includes a new opera (by Belgian composer Benoît Mernier), new productions of Lucrezia Borgia, Manon Lescaut, Lulu and La Traviata and Michael Haneke's Così .

And you don't even need to book that Eurostar ticket; continuing this season's successful experiment, every opera will be streamed online.

The full list:

• Passion: c.Franck Ollu / d.Sasha Waltz
• Pelléas et Mélisande: c.Ludovic Morlot / d.Pierre Audi
• Lucrezia Borgia (new production): c.Julian Reynolds / d.Guy Joosten
• Così fan tutte: c.Ludovic Morlot / d.Michael Haneke
• La Dispute (by Benoît Mernier, world premiere): c.Patrick Davin / d.Karl-Ernst & Ursel Herrmann
• Manon Lescaut (new production): c.Carlo Rizzi / d.Mariusz Treliński
• Lulu (new production): c.Lothar Koenigs / d.Krzysztof Warlikowski
• La traviata (new production): c.Ádám Fischer / d.Andrea Breth
• Roméo et Juliette (opera in concert): c.Evelino Pidò
• Die Fledermaus (opera in concert): c.Ádám Fischer

Herheim Rusalka free streaming

To add to this week's free laptop viewing, La Monnaie are streaming a recently recorded performance of Rusalka on demand from Tuesday 27 March to Monday 16 April.

Stefan Herheim's 2008 production tells the story from the Water Goblin's perspective. Yes, Rusalka is a ho, but there are no fake pussies, and Stefan Herheim's concept is bolder and clearer than Covent Garden's recent production. 

 Here's a trailer for its original 2008 outing:

Valentine treat

Short of ideas/money/polar expeditionary clothing this February 14th?

Why not stay in with your loved one and watch a soprano make out with a severed head?

La Monnaie's free webcast of Salome is available online for 21 days from 14 February.

Free opera online from the Opera House of the Year

La Monnaie, recently awarded the prestigious title of Opera House of the Year by Opernwelt magazine, is planning to stream all of this season's productions free online.

First up is Krzysztof Warlikowski's Médée, which features Nadja Michael as the Amy Winehouse-styled heroine.

From 12 November you'll be able to see George Enescu's rarely-performed Oedipe in a new production by La Fura dels Baus.

Streaming starts after the last live performance of each opera, and will be available for 21 days only. More season details here.

Castellucci's Parsifal rides again

The most extraordinary opera production I've seen in a very long time, Romeo Castellucci's Parsifal for La Monnaie, has been captured on film. It will be shown at the Avignon Festival on 22 July, and possibly on the Mezzo TV channel too. I doubt if the production could ever be revived in its original format, for logistical reasons, so catch it if you can.

Straight from the Redeemer himself, Andrew Richards.

La Monnaie Brussels 2011-2012 season details

There's another short but interesting season to look forward to at the bijou La Monnaie next year.

A real highlight should be Dmitri Tcherniakov's house debut, directing Il Trovatore. Marc Minkowski (!) conducts his first Verdi opera, and the cast is headed by Scott Hendricks, Misha Didyk and Marina Poplavskaya.

La Fura dels Baus produce Enescu's Oedipe, which is conducted by Leo Hussain (surely in line to get an opera house of his own some time soon).

Krzysztof Warlikowski's highly-praised production of Cherubini's Médée returns. Les Talens Lyriques are conducted by Christophe Rousset and the cast includes Nadja Michael as Médée, Kurt Streit, Christianne Stotijn, Vincent Le Texier and Laura Claycomb.

Another welcome revival is Stefan Herheim's Rusalka. It's conducted by Ádám Fischer with Myrto Papatanasiu and Tatiana Monogarova sharing the title role.

A strong programme of operas in concert is headed by Rossini's Otello, conducted by Evelino Pido with Gregory Kunde, Anna Caterina Antonacci, Giovanni Furlanetto, Dmitry Korchak and Dario Schmunck. The others are Krol Roger, Theodora and Haydn's Orlando Paladino.

Parsifal - La Monnaie does it Romeo Castellucci's way

Parsifal - Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie Brussels, 30 January 2010

ENO are you reading? This is how you bring new blood into opera. Romeo Castellucci's operatic experience may be zero, but he's a seasoned theatrical hand with visual flair, wide-ranging technical skills, a probing intellect, a loyal, talented supporting team and a willingness to push the boundaries. And of course a desire to do the job in the first place without being cajoled. How many of ENO's recent first-timers have demonstrated even one of those qualities?  In the face of his numerous practical qualifications, his unique artistic vision seems almost like a bonus.

why not Paris?

Did you realise you can nip across to Paris or Brussels, see an opera, and still be back in London in time for supper? Nearly all of their productions include at least one Sunday matinee which slots neatly into the Eurostar schedule.

Sunday shows in Paris start at 2 or 2.30, so even the new Siegfried (opening in March) ends in plenty of time to make the last train at 9.13.

Brussels is a little tighter. La Monnaie's matinees begin at 3, and the last train leaves at 8.29, so January's Parsifal is out. Most other shows are do-able though.

The train is of course not free, but some of the £69 cost is offset by lower seat prices for the opera - €180 max, and generally less.

Pourquoi pas?