Manon

Synopsis

The opera charts Manon's course from wide-eyed innocent to a woman who has seen all too much of the world, and Massenet supplies a lushly romantic score, bursting with life and colour. On her way to the convent where she is destined to spend her days, Manon falls instantly in love with the handsome Des Grieux, and they elope. Torn between her devotion to Des Grieux and the seductiveness of glamour and riches, Manon's voracious appetite for life blazes through the opera. Whilst he only wants the girl, the girl wants to have it all - even if it proves ultimately to be her undoing.

Our Review:

Simon Thomas - 23 June 2010

The final new production in Covent Garden’s season sees the much-anticipated house debut of Anna Netrebko as Massenet’s innocent turned courtesan, a role she has played to acclaim across continents in recent years. The Russian soprano certainly lives up to expectations; big and secure vocally, she dazzles in a performance that sees her revelling in the journey from a credible 16 year old to sweet lover and then seasoned mistress relishing a new-found life of wealth and male adoration.

Matching her in vocal size and passion is the Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo as des Grieux, shaking off his pop-tenor reputation in an impressive first appearance at the Royal Opera House.  He could take his foot off the pedal at times but he’s ardent and touching and the two stars’ scenes together are the highlights of an otherwise rocky evening.

More attention seems to have been paid to the frocks than the sets, with the first scene a sterile and empty villag...

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