Anna netrebko to star in puccinis manon lescaut at the met. Director richard eyre talks about manon lescaut and his new production of the puccini opera, opening at the metropolitan opera in new york city. Its almost enough to make sense of richard eyre s problematic. Sir richard eyres production, while it had some striking images, such as the deconstructed ruin representing the wasteland in act iv, was problematic. Simon rattle anchors badenbaden festival with manon lescaut. Apr 27, 2007 puccinis manon lescaut the title character in puccinis manon lescaut is a young woman torn between true love and a life of luxury. Richard d eyre, 937 8322382, age 62 from 115 irongate dr. Simon rattle anchors badenbaden festival with manon. Sir richard eyre s new production of puccinis manon lescaut starring kristine opolais and roberto alagna comes to great performances at the met saturday, august at 11 p. Anna netrebko in richard eyres production of puccinis manon lescaut, at the.
A glossy manon lescaut in badenbaden english resmusica. Manon lescaut encountered some troubles when the met introduced its. Vocally the revival of puccinis manon lescaut, which opened at the metropolitan opera on monday, is ravishing. Anna netrebko to star in puccinis manon lescaut at the. He is the author of many books, including the story of the orchestra, four. Richard d eyre, 937 8322382, age 62 from 115 irongate. Anna netrebko scored an unmitigated success in her first manon lescaut at the met, almost obliterating director richard eyres and designer rob howells misconceived production. The cavernous set, designed by rob howell, featured curved stone walls with stairs in the middle for both act is train station with its cafe crowd and act ii in manons paris. It could be easily labeled as a classic, picturesque short tale of a doomed love affair between a noble young man, chevalier des grieux, and a beautiful maiden from a lower breed, set in the paris of the regence, a convulsive era where class structures and ancient regime ruled the world. Take one part casablanca, a taste of bernsteins candide, some alfred hitchcock and you get sir richard eyres film noir concept for the mets new manon lescaut, now set in france in the.
Manon lescaut, metropolitan opera, new york passion and poetry though this production has musical strengths, richard eyres staging is a curious affair roberto alagna and kristine. Alessandra campanas recent book has an interesting chapter on this subject. Anna netrebko scored an unmitigated success in her first manon lescaut at the met, almost obliterating director richard eyres and designer. A fascinating 20 book by the historian nina kushner, erotic. London rest of uk and ireland richard eyre stages puccinis passionate opera in occupied france in a film noir setting for this live broadcast from the stage of the lincoln center for the performing arts in new york under the baton of principal conductor. But on the way, stopping at an inn at amisne, she meets the chevalier des grieux. Brindley sherratt geronte di ravoir and anna netrebko manon. New production premiere directed by richard eyre with sets by rob howell. Richard eyre entertainment air date 02102016 director richard eyre talks about manon lescaut and his new production of the puccini opera at the met. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Sir richard eyres new production of puccinis manon lescaut starring kristine opolais and roberto alagna comes to great performances at the met saturday, august at 11 p. He has a bright tenor voice with the requisite italiante color, open and clear, and flexible enough to. Roberto alagna swooped in for an indisposed tenor jonas kaufmann, singing for the first time a role. Germaine greer on manon lescaut books the guardian.
This has not prevented the director richard eyre, who basically keeps its french locales, from setting manon lescaut during the german occupation in world war ii a strange choice, given. Straining credibility to the breaking point, i found the concept a trifle forced at the outset, but later taking flight in an extraordinarily convincing act iii, helped considerably by the massive set courtesy of designer rob howell of an ocean liner at port. The chevalier des grieux is still a young man, but already life and bitter experience have worn him to a shell. Anna netrebko will add a new role to her wideranging met repertory tonight through december 3 when she sings her first company performances of the seductive, tragic heroine of puccinis manon. Desperate passion is the phrase puccini himself used to. Anna netrebko overcomes flawed production of manon lescaut. The young chevalier des grieux renounces his riches and his noble family to be with the incomparable manon. In the reign of king louis xv,a handsome student,des grieux, meets his charming cousin, manon,just when she goes to the convent of amiens,to take the veil. Manon lescaut project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Manon lescaut, metropolitan opera, new york passion and poetry though this production has musical strengths, richard eyre s staging is a curious affair roberto alagna and kristine. English director richard eyre made his royal opera debut in. Scattered staging spells confusion at the met observer. Its almost enough to make sense of richard eyres problematic.
He worked for ten years in regional theatre in leicester, edinburgh and nottingham where he commissioned and directed trevor griffithss comedians, which later transferred to london and broadway, and then became producer of bbc tvs play for today. The story of the chevalier des grieux and of manon lescaut. Manon lescaut is a deceptive novel in multiple ways. Vocally the revival of puccinis manon lescaut, which opened at the. Richard eyre brings new dimension to manon lescaut at the. Complicating matters, richard eyre the director and rob howell. Sir richard eyres new production, conducted by fabio luisi, is set in the 1940s. Jonas kaufmann withdraws from mets new manon lescaut the.
Film work includes the children act, iris and notes on a scandal, and his many television credits include king lear. The mets new production of puccinis manon lescaut, directed by richard eyre, takes place in a meticulously, even extravagantly realized world war ii france, with sidewalk cafes and lots of. Manon lescaut is an incredible french novel about a couple who just cannot seem to stay together, mostly because of economic obstacles that keep interrupting their blissful. Mar 25, 2014 richard eyre on taking the waters in badenbaden. Less than a year old, mr eyres idea was to present the work with a nod to the film noir of the 1940s, using manon as a femme fatale who leads her lover to wrack and ruin. Agreeing to take on an unfamiliar role in a high profile new production at the last minute takes a great deal of courage and faith. Anna netrebko overcomes flawed production of manon lescaut at. The novel tells the story of chevalier des grieux and his lover, the amoral courtesan manon lescaut. The story opens in the country home of manon and her brother, who have been brought up by a religious father. Manon lescaut, metropolitan opera, new york passion and. R aw and uneven, without a shred of comfort, manon lescaut ambushes by simple means. The production comes from the washington national opera, with. Richard eyres staging, introduced with a different cast in badenbaden two years ago, pretends to mirror film noir. Sir richard eyres new production of puccinis manon lescaut.
Richard eyres staging must have been a pleasure for the coproducers from new yorks metropolitan opera. The berlin philharmonic orchestra and its conductor simon rattle chose puccinis manon lescaut to represent the lyrical side of their second passage in badenbadens easter festival. Its only concession to current trends was the transposition into a nazioccupied paris, which caused a few contradictions with the libretto prostitutes were probably not deported to. Richard eyre brings new dimension to manon lescaut at. Great performances is made possible by the joseph and. Sir richard eyres new production of puccinis manon. Director richard eyres decision to perform the puccini tearjerker on a set resembling the. Puccinis manon lescaut the title character in puccinis manon lescaut is a young woman torn between true love and a life of luxury. With lina cavalieri, lucien muratore, dorothy arthur, william l. In director eyre s reimagining, manon lescaut takes place in nazioccupied france during the second world war. Richard eyres staging, which moves the setting from the rarefied world of eighteenthcentury paris to the german. Memories and adventures of a man of quality who has retired from the world. The story of the chevalier des grieux and manon lescaut french.
In the reign of king louis xv,a handsome student,des grieux, meets his charming cousin,manon,just when she goes to the convent of amiens,to take the veil. Jun 01, 2004 manon lescaut by the abbe prevost was a controversial novel originally banned in france due to its scandalous content the passionate and unrepentant sensual relationship of a young nobleman and a beautiful courtesan. Richard eyres new filmnoirinspired staging of manon lescaut moves the action from the twilight of the ancien regime to germanoccupied france in the nineteenforties, reimagining the. Richard eyre s new metropolitan opera production of puccinis manon lescaut 1893, which opened on friday, was updated to occupied france in the 1940s. Richard eyres new metropolitan opera production of puccinis manon lescaut 1893, which opened on friday, was updated to occupied france in the 1940s. This has not prevented the director richard eyre, who basically keeps its french locales, from setting manon lescaut during the german occupation in world war ii a strange choice, given the absence of any political conflict, but an inoffensive one. Conducted by fabio luisi with kristine opolais manon lescaut. Considered scandalous at the time, it was immediately banned. Compared to last years opening with the enchanted flute, it was a huge stylistic deviation, especially since it was the first time rattle conducted an opera by the italian composer. Manon lescaut is an incredible french novel about a couple who just cannot seem to stay together, mostly because of economic obstacles that keep interrupting their blissful relationship. The mets new production of manon lescaut, directed by richard eyre, is a closedeyes special. Apr 22, 2014 this has not prevented the director richard eyre, who basically keeps its french locales, from setting manon lescaut during the german occupation in world war ii a strange choice, given.
Manon lescaut, metropolitan opera, new york passion and poetry though this production has musical strengths, richard eyres staging is a curious affair save. The mets new production of puccinis manon lescaut, directed by richard eyre, takes place in a meticulously, even extravagantly realized. His four books include national service a journal of his time at the nt and what do. Less than a year old, mr eyres idea was to present the work with a nod to the film noir of the 1940s, using manon as a femme fatale who leads her lover to wrack. After directing a successful play at the phoenix theatre, leicester, he subsequently focussed on direction.
After directing a successful play at the phoenix theatre, leicester, he subsequently focussed. The conductor simon rattle rescues a puccini classic. Aug, 2016 in director eyres reimagining, manon lescaut takes place in nazioccupied france during the second world war. It was controversial in its time and was banned in france upon publication. Jonas kaufmann, kristine opolais, brindley sherratt director. Nov 16, 2016 vocally the revival of puccinis manon lescaut, which opened at the metropolitan opera on monday, is ravishing. Jonas kaufmann withdraws from mets new manon lescaut. Manon lescaut is a groundbreaking novel of passion and immorality, and one of the most famous love stories of all time. The met stage ignites when soprano kristine opolais and tenor jonas kaufmann join forces in puccinis obsessive love story manon lescaut.
Tenor roberto alagna should certainly be commended for singing the role of des grieux opposite kristine opolais in the mets new production of manon lescaut. Richard eyre on taking the waters in badenbaden telegraph. With myriam bru, franco interlenghi, roger pigaut, aldo silvani. The mets new production of puccinis manon lescaut, directed by richard eyre, takes place in a meticulously, even extravagantly realized worldwarii france, with sidewalk cafes and lots of. Director richard eyre places the action in occupied france in a film noir setting.