Nick Cave announces new lockdown opera L.I.T.A.N.I.E.S

L.I.T.A.N.I.E.S was created after both Cave and Lens realised that the COVID-19 pandemic would disrupt their 2020 schedules.

The Belgian composer reached out to Cave to work on the opera after the two collaborated on 2014's Shell Shock opera.

Lens says, "The initial idea for L.I.T.A.N.I.E.S was born in the natural silence that rises from the rainy and vivid green forest that surrounds these 13th-century temples. And because my memory works in musical phrases, writing L.I.T.A.N.I.E.S has become my method of remembering the peace I found while visiting Japan as well."

Cave adds, "Nicholas called me during lockdown and asked if I would write 12 litanies. I happily agreed. The first thing I did after I put down the phone was search ‘What is a litany?’ I learned that a litany was a series of religious petitions, and realised I had been writing litanies all my life."

L.I.T.A.N.I.E.S was recorded with an 11‑piece instrumental group made up of people living locally to Lens during the pandemic. Among those musicians was Lens' daughter Clara-Lane. Each musician had to record their pieces separately at Lens' home due to coronavirus restrictions. He says, "In the end, all of this was recorded in one room, so it literally is chamber music!"