Opening the Licht cycle, Monday is an opera imbued with ceremony and magic. In it, Stockhausen celebrates the birth of the world and the feminine aspect of humanity through universal symbols— the moon, water, childbirth— that traverse all cultures and human temporalities. Written between 1984 and 1988, Montag aus Licht pushes instrumental virtuosity, electronic composition, and technological challenges to an unparalleled level. Premiered in 1988 at La Scala in Milan, Montag “shattered” the limits of the traditional Italian theater to create a true sense of magic as envisioned by the composer.Following Freitag aus Licht, presented in 2022 at the Opéra de Lille, Le Balcon now offers a selection of solo scenes from Monday from Light, as part of the long-term preparation required for this opera. The ensemble has chosen to open the doors of its workshop, inviting the public to attend rehearsals, to hear the electronic music prepared by the composer, and to experience two unique performances of solo scenes from an opera that unfolds like an initiatory journey. Its dramaturgy draws from eternal tales—Snow White, The Pied Piper of Hamelin—as well as the magic and innocence of childhood and its timeless legends.These few scenes act like spells from a Monday in which both the birth of humanity and the world itself are at stake—celebrated through magical invocations drawn from civilizations across the globe: European, Asian, African…
