Montag aus Licht in Paris

Since its La Scala Milan premiere under the late director Michel Bogdanov the very large music theatre work Montag aus Licht (Monday from LIGHT) has awaited another staged production. Of all the prodigious works of this composer, the seven operas of LICHT, in my view, gain most from the visual theatre that accompanies them. The very beautiful but extended scenes of Montag are fully realised on CD, but often present a challenge for close listening without clear visual landmarks for context along the way. The included libretto and photographs and itemised track listings are only somewhat focussing amidst the overwhelming scale. Much of the beauty of this music (with curiously static harmonic centres) is in the exceptionally controlled accelerandos and ritardandos over long durations, such as during the remarkable pram dances (“Baby Buggy Boogie”) in Act One’s ”Heinzelmanchen” scene. The inspiration of waves and tides seem to profoundly inspire the ebbs and flows of this Monday music, and while the listener travels afloat upon this subtelty, Stockhausen’s original dramatic ideas give purpose to the voyage. In the theatre (or adapted concert hall like the Grande Salle Pierre Boulez at the Paris Philharmonie) the progress becomes a delight, without fear of drowning!

I would like to use this blog to write various articles describing the achievements of the opera as performed in Paris on Nov 29 2025. Le Balcon under Maxime Pascal and Stage Director Silvia Costa have revived this work authentically and creatively in its latest staging, achieving great success before a packed audience and intended for the forthcoming film.