-Compiled by Brian Mendonca
Work: Manon Lescaut
Pr. [French: ma-nawn les-KOH]
Libretto: Luigi Illica, Domenico Oliva, Giuseppi Giacosa
Form: Italian Opera
Year: 1893, Turin
Genre: Western classical
Drift: Romantic
Acts
Act I - Manon's father sends her to the convent; Manon meets Des Grieux at Amiens; the lovers flee to Paris.
Act II - In Paris, Manon leaves Des Grieux for the wealthy Geronte. Manon arrested for seeing Des Grieux.
Intermezzo - Manon imprisoned; she thinks of Des Grieux; the journey to Le Havre harbour to be deported.
Act III - Des Grieux pleads with the captain to allow him to sail on the ship on which Manon is being deported to New Orleans.
Act IV - Manon and Des Grieux on the run in New Orleans. Manon dies professing her love for Des Grieux.
Listen
Intermezzo (6.04 mins.)
Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Antonio Pappano
Prinsengrachtconcert 2013
About: Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) was an Italian composer known for his operas. Manon-Lescaut is an opera about Manon - a girl who is about to be sent to a convent - and Des Grieux - her lover who seeks to prevent it. Manon loves the good life but Des Grieux - on account of being poor - is rebuffed by her. It is set in France in the eighteenth century. The libretto is based on a novel by Antoine-Francois Prevost written in 1731. [Pr: Poo-CHEE-nee]
Trivia: A chain smoker, Puccini died in Brussels when his opera La Boheme was being performed in Rome. When the news broke, the orchestra immediately stopped the performance and played Chopin's 'Marche Funebre' (Funeral March) to the stunned audience.
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Pic of set design for Act III by Ugo Gheduzzi courtesy giacomopuccini(dot)wordpress.com; Sources:opera-online(dot)com; metopera(dot)org; mezzo(dot)tv; dictionary(dot)com; wikiwand(dot)com
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