[Met Performance] CID:278370



Manon Lescaut
Metropolitan Opera House, Mon, October 29, 1984




Manon Lescaut (172)
Giacomo Puccini | Luigi Illica/Giuseppe Giacosa/Marco Praga/Ruggero Leoncavallo
Manon
Mirella Freni

Des Grieux
Ermanno Mauro

Lescaut
David Holloway

Geronte
Ara Berberian

Edmondo
Kirk Redmann

Innkeeper
Mario Bertolino

Solo Madrigalist
Diane Kesling

Madrigalist
Beverly Hulse

Madrigalist
Linda Mays

Madrigalist
Joyce Olson

Madrigalist
Sandra Bush

Dancing Master
Andrea Velis

Sergeant
John Darrenkamp

Lamplighter
Charles Anthony

Captain
Andrij Dobriansky


Conductor
Nello Santi


Production
Gian Carlo Menotti

Designer
Desmond Heeley

Lighting Designer
Gil Wechsler

Stage Director
Pamela McRae





Manon Lescaut received eighteen performances this season.

Review 1:

Review from the Associated Press

Mirella Freni Is Exquisite Manon Lescaut

The Italian soprano Mirella Freni elevates the music she sings.

At Monday night's Metropolitan Opera "Manon Lescaut," it seemed the title character's first aria had never been such wonderful music.

Then Miss Freni's Manon Lescaut made her next aria also more beautiful music than remembered. We had to realize that Giacomo Puccini's music hadn't changed. It is just that an exquisite voice and high artistry like Miss Freni's present it with the glory that is there but too infrequently revealed.

Her voice has changed little since she made her Met debut in "La Bohème" in 1965. Neither time nor use has roughened it. She still looks young and pretty, too, and her acting is logical and affecting.

"The first team," we heard a patron mutter at an intermission. Unfortunately, that description covered most of the rest of the cast.

Conductor Nello Santi of Adria, Italy, did a fine job and received deserved applause, especially after the prelude to the third act.

We also liked bass Ara Berberian of Detroit as the wealthy, elderly Gironde.

Tenor Ermanno Mauro of Trieste, as the young student Des Giroux, on this evening was favoring two volumes, a throttled-back soft and a blaring, strident loud. Baritone David Holloway of Grandview. Mo. as Manon's brother, was also, one assumes, not in his best voice.

Katia Ricciarelli of Rovigo, Italy, was scheduled to sing Manon Lescaut eight times this season. She is having problems with her neck, possibly caused by a previous auto accident, and had to cancel.

She canceled during the time that Miss Freni was in New York for an October 21 recital, [starting] Avery Fisher Hall's "Superstars of Song" series. Before that, Miss Freni had been singing in "Eugene Onegin" with the Chicago Opera.

Miss Freni was able to remain in New York for this season's first three performances of "Manon Lescaut," Monday night, Saturday afternoon and Tuesday of next week.

Soprano Adriana Maliponte of Brescia, Italy, will sing two for which she was scheduled, November 22 and 27, and four more. The November 10 matinee replacement will be announced.

Miss Freni had been scheduled at the Met this season only for a joint concert with tenor Luciano Pavarotti in March. They share a hometown, Modena, Italy.



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