Lisette Oropesa as Manon at The Met Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera
Sunday 15 March at 6.00pm on RNZ Concert
Metropolitan Opera Season: Manon
MASSENET: Manon
Cast:
Lisette Oropesa (Manon), Michael Fabiano (Le Chevalier des Grieux), Carlo Bosi (Guillot de Morfontaine), Artur Rucinski (Lescaut), Brett Polegato (Monsieur de Brétigny), Kwangchul Youn (Le Comte des Grieux), Jacqueline Echols (Poussette), Laura Krumm (Javotte), Maya Lahyani (Rosette), Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orchestra conducted by Maurizio Benini
Recorded in the Metropolitan Opera House, New York (Met Opera)
Lisette Oropesa as Manon at The Met Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera
A take on the quintessentially French tale of the beautiful young woman who is incapable of forsaking both love and luxury, Massenet’s 'Manon' features one of the truly unforgettable, irresistible, and archetypal female characters in opera. While the story is firmly set in class and gender issues of the past, the character of Manon herself is timeless, convincing, and familiar. The opera has been a success ever since its première, championed by a diverse roster of singers who have cherished its dramatic opportunities, exalted style, and ravishing music.
Artur Ruciński as Lescaut at The Met Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera
The opera is set in and around Paris, with familiar landmarks such as the church of St. Sulpice forming important reference points in the story. The opera was originally set in the early 18th century, but the Met’s current production places the story in the late 19th century, the so-called “Belle Époque” and the time when the opera was written.
Lisette Oropesa as Manon at The Met Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera
Massenet’s score captures the drama of his most memorable heroine with deft craftsmanship, expressive vocal and orchestral writing, and an almost unparalleled level of sensuality. There is no shortage of passion, but much of the music’s romance is different from what one would expect in an Italian opera, or even a more earthy French work such as 'Carmen'. Some of the most dramatically (and erotically) charged passages rely on the simplest effects.
Michael Fabiano as des Grieux and Lisette Oropesa as Manon at The Met Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera
