Manon is an opéra comique in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by the Abbé Prévost. It was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on January 19, 1884.
Manon is Massenet's most popular and enduring opera, having maintained an important place in the repertory since its creation. It is the quintessential example o...
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Manon is an opéra comique in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by the Abbé Prévost. It was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on January 19, 1884.
Manon is Massenet's most popular and enduring opera, having maintained an important place in the repertory since its creation. It is the quintessential example of the charm and vitality of the music and culture of the Parisian Belle Époque. The first Manon was Marie Heilbron and other noted interpreters include Sybil Sanderson (Massenet's personal favorite), Fanny Heldy, Lucrezia Bori, Bidu Sayao, Victoria de los Ángeles, Anna Moffo, Beverly Sills, Renée Fleming, Anna Netrebko, and Natalie Dessay. Due to its heavy vocal demands, the role of Manon was described by Beverly Sills as "the French Isolde."
Time: the reign of Louis XV
The bustling courtyard of an inn at Amiens. De Brétigny, a nobleman, has...
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