Metropolitan Opera Archives

November 9 was our first chance to hear George Shirley as Des Grieux in the new production of "Manon." The young tenor had not been scheduled to sing the part until this date, but had had to step in for Nicolai Gedda at the second performance of the season (Gedda was called home to Europe due to illness in his family, but will return later in the season). The November 9 performance was also our first opportunity to catch Vladimir Ruzdak as Lescaut (he had sung the role for the first time on October 30 in place of Frank Guarrera who was indisposed).

Shirley's singing would have been outstanding in almost any Italian role, but as Des Grieux his approach was too healthy and out-of-doors for this pallid salon character. There was not enough elegance of line and sense of timing to make the crucial difference between an acceptable and a stylish performance of the part. Also, it is too bad that Shirley and Anna Moffo (Manon) never make it to Louisiana in Massenet's version, for their patois would have been more easily understood on the bayous than on the Seine. Ruzdak was neither a credit not a detriment to this performance. In fact, he went almost unnoticed. The same cannot be said for Ita Maximowna's distressing decor and Thomas Schippers' rude conducting.

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