Puccini’s Manon Lescaut had, to say the least of it, a
difficult gestation. For the composer who had enticed another
man’s wife to live with him, it was make or break time after his
first two operas. These were Le villi premiered on 31 May
1884, and Edgar at La Scala on 21 April 1889, each only
modestly received. He couldn’t settle with the chosen librettists
who were changed to the extent that none put his name to the programme
at the premiere. Being aware of these difficulties and that La
Scala was to premiere Verdi’s last opera, Falstaff, shortly
after the scheduled premiere of Manon Lescaut, the publisher
Ricordi moved the venue to Turin. Despite these last minute tribulations
the work was a resounding success. The applause began with the
brief tenor aria Tra voi, belle in act 1 (Ch. 4) when Puccini
had to appear on stage to acknowledge the applause. At the end
of the performance the composer and cast took thirty curtain calls.
Manon Lescaut set Puccini on a secure financial and artistic
future. Whilst not rivalling La Bohème, Tosca and
Madama Butterfly among Puccini’s most popular works
it has all the hallmarks of his compositional style. It also sports
a fraught emotional story including a typically passionate melodic
aria for the heroine.
This DVD derives
from a live performance at New York’s Metropolitan Opera given
in 2008 as part of the theatre’s live performances beamed around
the world for simultaneous transmission in local cinemas. Figures
quoted for the 2007-08 season indicate around 350,000 people
experienced the performances. Recorded in High Definition, it
certainly lacks nothing in visual purity and clarity as transferred
to a modern flat screen television. The sound is also first
rate through my hi-fi system and reference speakers. The sets
go back to 1980 when the production was new and attributed to
Gian-Carlo Menotti. His name doesn’t appear this time around;
instead Gina Lapinski is shown as Stage Director. The original
production, featured Renata Scotto as the eponymous Manon and
Domingo as Des Grieux each at the peak of their considerable
acting and vocal powers. By coincidence it was the first Met
recording for television transmission. The opera itself is in
effect a series of four unconnected tableaux from Manon’s life.
They portray her passage from the flighty girl of act 1, to
Geronte’s rich self-centred mistress of act 2, through to her
deportation and death in the barren plains near New Orleans
in the final two acts. In my
review of the 1980 original, I commented on the opulent
sets and production. These were typical and traditional at the
Met of that period. I also pointed out the limitations of the
colour of the early transmission. As I have already indicated
there are no such limitations here.
By coincidence,
both Karita Mattila as Manon in this performance and Renata
Scotto in the earlier, were around the same age, 46, at the
time of the respective recordings. However, whilst Scotto was
queen of the Italian repertoire at the Met in the 1970s and
early 1980s, Mattila is known more at the theatre in the north
European fach. She has sung Richard Strauss’s Salome
and Beethoven’s Fidelio Leonore previously. What both
singers share is a considerable ability as singing actresses.
Mattila didn’t take the role of Manon into her repertoire until
1999, perhaps having waited for a more lustrous tone to develop
in her voice. Her acted interpretation here cannot be faulted
and if she lacks the ultimate in Italianate tone there are few
on the present day operatic stage who could have given such
a convincingly sung and acted portrayal in this large theatre.
Her singing of Sola, perduta, abbandonata in act 4 (Ch.
36), whilst recumbent, and ethereal mezza voce projected
into the vast auditorium that is The Met, is operatic performance
of the highest quality. Equally impressive are her expressive
and floated notes, with a concluding diminuendo, in In quelle
trine morbide (Ch.16) before singing full out in Pouché
tu vuoi saper, the following duet with Des Grieux (Ch.17).
Add to these singing skills the fact that in act 2, as Manon
is being taught to dance as befits a lady, she concludes the
lesson by doing the splits! Mattila’s recumbent position in
the final aria contrasts sharply with Scotto’s who stands much
earlier. Those differences are also reflected in the lighting
level in the last act. In this performance the stage is brightly
lit whilst in the 1980 recording the pervading darkness, with
focused spots, adds to the barrenness of the locale. Whilst
there are many such differences they are of little importance
in assessing this DVD.
The singing and
acting of the three male principals is more varied. As Des Grieux,
Marcello Giordani is no match, as singer or actor, for Domingo.
In the bonus interview he claims lineage from the bel canto
repertoire, but fails to bring much soft singing or smooth
legato to this role. In the opening act he is dry-voiced and
when singing full out his tone inclines to spread. He can and
does sing with expression and manages some soft singing in the
act 2 love duet (Ch.21). When it comes to acting with manner
and voice Dale Travis as Geronte is way ahead of his male counterparts
in giving a wholly convincing portrayal. In act 1 he is the
impatient, irascible, banker to a tee as he arrives at the inn
(Ch.6) only transformed when his eyes light on Manon and he
makes his plot to abduct her. In act 2 Travis’s expression of
besotted affection during Manon’s dancing lesson is superb (Ch.20)
as later is his conveying of anger as Geronte discovers Des
Grieux and Manon in flagrante in his sumptuous apartments
and denounces her to the police (Chs. 22-24). Dwayne Croft as
brother, pimp, gambler and general fixer is at least upright
in physical stature and sings in tune if without particular
tonal distinction. On the rostrum, Levine, now with a stool
on which to perch, is a replica of 1980 in terms of tempi and
interpretation. His fondness for the repertoire, and years of
experience, has enabled him to overcome the effect of his accident
and to fill this music with a fine balance of lyricism and dramatic
passion as would surely have pleased Puccini.
The bonus of having
the svelte and glamorous Renée Fleming conduct back-stage interviews
is a mixed blessing. Those with the two principal singers are
bland; doubtless they would have preferred a direct line to
their dressing rooms. Those with the stage manager and animal
keepers are more interesting. I could not help feeling that
seeing the sets moved into position took some of the magic away
from the view when seen from the front. As always, Brian Large’s
camera work is a subtle blend that brings the best of an opera
house performance into ones lounge, or in this case onto a cinema
screen near you.
For clarity of picture
this DVD wins hands down compared with the 1980 version. The downside
is that as good as Mattila is as Manon, she alone is not equal
to the combination of Scotto and Domingo those years ago.
Robert J Farr
Manon Lescaut
- Karita Mattila (soprano); Lescaut, Manon’s brother and Sergeant
in the Kings Guard - Dwayne Croft (baritone); Cavalier des Grieux,
a student - Marcello Giordani (tenor); Geronte, wealthy Treasurer-General
- Dale Travis (bass); Edmondo, a student - Sean Pannikar (tenor)
