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Streamed at metopera.org
Manon Lescaut received eight performances this season
Production photos of Manon Lescaut by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera.

FUNDING:
Revival a gift of the Jane W. Nuhn Charitable Trust

Review 1:

Bob Levine on ClassicsToday.com

It has been 18 years since Puccini's "Manon Lescaut" was presented at the Met. Desmond Heeley's very realistic period sets and costumes are looking a bit dusty but still suit the situations well. In 1990, Mirella Freni sang the title role in a production that was new in 1980 and had been mounted for Renata Scotto. A very different soprano from those petite Italians just took over the role and scored a great triumph. More about her in a moment.

could tell from the open*ing bars that James Levine was happy to be leading the opera again after so many years. His love for the work's youthful exuberance and endless flow of melodies led him to conduct with a fire and passion (and volume!) that are rarely felt in the more "intellectual" works in the repertory; indeed, he was leaping from the podium at times. Levine's debut opera at the Met was "Tosca" and it was thrilling; his enthusiasm for Italian opera has obviously not flagged. The orchestra played beautifully for him, with no detail overlooked; rambunctious moments sizzled and the opera's bleak final act had the necessary tragic tint. And as usual, Mr. Levine was sympathetic to his singers, breathing along with his soprano in this difficult role.

The soprano in question is Karita Mattila, the Finn who has impressed audiences here and abroad in the German and Czech repertoire: Her Jenufa, Salome and Fidelio are probably the greatest in the world. Singing her first Italian role at the Met, Ms Mattila did not disappoint. Always one to probe the psychology of a character, Mattila's Manon was curious (and perhaps all-too-interested in learning) in the first act, spoiled and pouty in the second, and desperate and devastated by the opera's close. She is as statuesque and stunning as ever, and so seeing her crestfallen and falling apart in the opera's last act was enormously affecting. Vocally, she is more than up to the role's demands. Her blazing top notes are wonderfully in place, but to them has been added a dusky middle register and some wisely used chest voice; her pianissimo singing in "In quelle trine morbide" was equally hypnotic. Gina Lapinski's direction (the opera was originally staged by Gian Carlo Menotti) has Manon tossing pillows about and searching for an earring while being serenaded in the second act and Ms Mattila played it for just the right camp value.

Her lover, Des Grieux, is being sung by the all-purpose Italian tenor Marcello Giordani He certainly brings enough sound and Mediterranean slancio to the role and no-one will ever accuse him of a lack of passion. But his passion is generic ? even in his heartbreaking third act outburst one felt a lack of depth; where Domingo (for one) could tear your heart out with tonal nuance and wise use of dynamics, Giordani just sings louder and louder. This wild approach also affects his pitch ? half his high notes flew sharp. Singing opposite a soprano who is interested in vocal nuance made him sound particularly crude.

Dwayne Croft's Lescaut, Manon's unprincipled brother, is a fine portrait and Dale Travis sings the wealthy Geronte with great character. The small role of Edmondo, who only appears in the first act, is being taken by the fine young tenor Sean Panniker.

"Manon Lescaut" will be repeated five more times through February 23rd.

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