Administrative archives, payment of staff

Collection description

Postal address:: Archives de la Monnaie, Rue Léopold 23 / Leopoldstraat 23, 1000 Bruxelles

Reference number:: RTh-Brussels-Archives administratives, Paiements du personnel

Title (official language):: Archives administratives, Paiements du personnel

Creator/accumulator:: Théâtre Royale de la Monnaie; Koninklijke Muntschouwburg

Scope and content:: This fonds consists of registers related to the payment of the salaries of the artists, orchestra members, members of the choir, ballet dancers, administrative and technical staff (stage personnel, machinists, workshop employees). They are arranged by group of employees and then chronologically. The registers include, for each person, the salary per month and per fortnight, deductions, amounts payable etc. The fonds contains documents related to Jewish artists and Jewish employees of La Monnaie.

Administrative/biographical history:: The Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, the opera house of Brussels located on the Place de la Monnaie, was created in 1700. This theatre at the heart of the city was particularly put in the spotlight by Charles-Alexander of Lorraine, governor of the Austrian Netherlands. Under the French regime, La Monnaie only enjoyed the status of a provincial opera. In the early 19th century, the theatre came under the auspices of the city of Brussels. La Monnaie attracted great artists and its theatre troupe grew. From 1870 to 1914, La Monnaie was the French capital of Wagnerism. Notably as a result of the success of the ballets by Maurice Béjart and the creation of the Ballet du XXe siècle, the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie became the National Opera in the 1960s. It has since gained international renown. (M. Couvreur (ed.), La Monnaie wagnérienne, Bruxelles, GRAM-ULB, 1998; C. Gantelme & F. Michielsen, Théâtre royal de la Monnaie, Opéra national, Ballet du XXe siècle, de 1959 à nos jours, Bruxelles, Paul Legrain, 1981; R. van der Hoeven, La Monnaie au XIXe siècle, Bruxelles, GRAM-ULB, 2000.)

Subject terms:: Art; Art--Artists; Financial records; Music; Music--Musicians; Professions; Professions--Crafts; Theatre

System of arrangement:: The registers are arranged by type of staff function, and then chronologically.

Access, restrictions:: Consultation requires the authorisation of the archivist of La Monnaie.