La Bohéme Madama Butterfly
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Julio-Agosto 2004
AÑO XIX Nº 188 Julio-Agosto 2004 6 € 2 OPINIÓN Luigi Dallapiccola, cárceles e islas CON NOMBRE Stefano Russomanno 112 PROPIO Petrassi: la poética artesana como tradición y vanguardia 6 Carlo Maria Giulini Tomás Marco 116 Roberto Andrade Dallapiccola y Petrassi en CD 10 AGENDA Juan Manuel Viana 120 12 ACTUALIDAD ENCUENTROS NACIONAL José van Dam Rafael Banús Irusta 126 38 ACTUALIDAD REPORTAJE INTERNACIONAL Tras las huellas de Antonín Dvorák 52 ENTREVISTA Rafael Banús Irusta 130 Rolando Villazón EDUCACIÓN Bruno Serrou Pedro Sarmiento 134 56 Discos del mes EL CANTAR DE SCHERZO DISCOS LOS CANTARES 57 Sumario Arturo Reverter 136 DOSIER LIBROS 137 105 Dallapiccola Petrassi JAZZ 138 cien años LA GUÍA 140 106 Un siglo de música en Italia Francisco Ramos CONTRAPUNTO Norman Lebrecht 144 Colaboran en este número: Teresa Adrán, Javier Alfaya, Daniel Álvarez Vázquez, Julio Andrade Malde, Íñigo Arbiza, Rafael Banús Irusta, Alfredo Brotons Muñoz, Domingo del Campo Castel, José Antonio Cantón, Paulino Capdepón, Carmelo Di Gennaro, Fernando Fraga, Joaquín García, Manuel García Franco, José Antonio García y García, Mario Gerteis, José Guerrero Martín, Leopoldo Hontañón, Bernd Hoppe, Paul Korenhof, Norman Lebrecht, Luciana Leiderfarb, Juan Antonio Llorente, Fiona Maddocks, Nadir Madriles, Tomás Marco, Santiago Martín Bermúdez, Joaquín Martín de Sagarmínaga, Enrique Martínez Miura, Blas Matamoro, Erna Metdepenninghen, Antonio Muñoz Molina, Miguel Ángel Nepomuceno, Josep Pascual, Enrique Pérez Adrián, Javier Pérez Senz, Pablo Queipo de Llano Ocaña, Francisco Ramos, Arturo Reverter, Justo Romero, Stefano Russomanno, Ignacio Sánchez Quirós, Pablo Sanz, Pedro Sarmiento, Bruno Serrou, Franco Soda, José Luis Téllez, Juan Manuel Viana, Claire Vaquero Williams, Asier Vallejo Ugarte, Pablo J. -
Manon Lescaut
CopertaToPrint_lsc:v 18-01-2010 10:57 Pagina 1 1 La Fenice prima dell’Opera 2010 1 2010 Fondazione Stagione 2010 Teatro La Fenice di Venezia Lirica e Balletto Giacomo Puccini Manon escaut L Lescaut anon anon m uccini p iacomo iacomo g FONDAZIONE TEATRO LA FENICE DI VENEZIA CopertaToPrint_lsc:v 18-01-2010 10:57 Pagina 2 foto © Michele Crosera Visite a Teatro Eventi Gestione Bookshop e merchandising Teatro La Fenice Gestione marchio Teatro La Fenice® Caffetteria Pubblicità Sponsorizzazioni Fund raising Per informazioni: Fest srl, Fenice Servizi Teatrali San Marco 4387, 30124 Venezia Tel: +39 041 786672 - Fax: +39 041 786677 [email protected] - www.festfenice.com FONDAZIONE AMICI DELLA FENICE STAGIONE 2010 Incontro con l’opera Teatro La Fenice - Sale Apollinee lunedì 25 gennaio 2010 ore 18.00 LUCA MOSCA Manon Lescaut Teatro La Fenice - Sale Apollinee venerdì 5 febbraio 2010 ore 18.00 PIERO MIOLI Il barbiere di Siviglia Teatro La Fenice - Sale Apollinee mercoledì 10 marzo 2010 ore 18.00 ENZO RESTAGNO Dido and Aeneas Teatro La Fenice - Sale Apollinee venerdì 14 maggio 2010 ore 18.00 LORENZO ARRUGA Don Giovanni Teatro La Fenice - Sale Apollinee lunedì 21 giugno 2010 ore 18.00 GIORGIO PESTELLI The Turn of the Screw Teatro La Fenice - Sale Apollinee mercoledì 22 settembre 2010 ore 18.00 Clavicembalo francese a due manuali copia dello MICHELE DALL’ONGARO strumento di Goermans-Taskin, costruito attorno alla metà del XVIII secolo (originale presso la Russell Rigoletto Collection di Edimburgo). Opera del M° cembalaro Luca Vismara di Seregno Teatro La Fenice - Sale Apollinee (MI); ultimato nel gennaio 1998. -
La Fanciulla Del West La Fanciulla Del West La Fanciulla
LIRICA 2001 COMUNE DI LUCCA TEATRO DEL GIGLIO CENTRO STUDI G. PUCCINI Teatro di Tradizione LIRICA 2001 LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST LA FANCIULLA Progetto Puccini nel Novecento 1999-2002 TEATRO DEL GIGLIO LIRICA 2001 In collaborazione con Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali Regione Toscana Amministrazione Provinciale di Lucca COMUNE DI LUCCA TEATRO DEL GIGLIO CENTRO STUDI G. PUCCINI LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST Progetto Puccini nel Novecento 1999-2002 AZIENDA TEATRO DEL GIGLIO Luigi Della Santa Presidente Gabriella Biagi Ravenni Angelo Fanucchi Mario Giannini Francesca Pardini Consiglio di Amministrazione Aldo Tarabella Direttore artistico Luigi Angelini Direttore TEATRO DEL GIGLIO - Teatro di Tradizione Lirica 2001: 22 settembre - 9 dicembre Pubblicazione del Teatro del Giglio Numero unico, settembre 2001 A cura del CENTRO STUDI GIACOMO PUCCINI Progetto grafico Marco Riccucci Stampa Nuova Grafica Lucchese - Lucca - settembre 2001 Sommario 7Introduzione del Sindaco di Lucca 9Premessa del Presidente del Teatro del Giglio 13 Virgilio Bernardoni Le ‘tinte’ della Fanciulla 25 Paola Massoni Giacomo Puccini e la messa in scena de La fanciulla del West 35 Gabriella Biagi Ravenni Puccini e La fanciulla del West, Lucca e il Teatro del Giglio. Cronaca di un amore 49 La fanciulla del West riproduzione in facsimile dell’edizione Ricordi del 1928 144 La fanciulla del West al Teatro del Giglio 147 Sergio Albertini La fanciulla del West, tra suoni e immagini Discografia e videografia Coproduzione dei Teatri di Tradizione: C.E.L. Teatro di Livorno, Teatro del Giglio di Lucca, Teatro di Pisa CEL - Teatro di Livorno Presidente Massimiliano Talini Direzione: Segreteria Isabella Bartolini, Paolo Demi, Antonella Peruffo Direttore artistico Alberto Paloscia CEL - Teatro di Livorno Via Goldoni, 83 - 57125 Livorno Tel. -
Manon Lescaut Madama Butterfly
Fondazione Giacomo Puccini LIRICA 2004-5 Lucca Centro Studi G. Puccini COMUNE DI LUCCA TEATRO DEL GIGLIO Teatro di Tradizione LIRICA 2005-6 MANON LESCAUT MADAMA BUTTERFLY COMITATO NAZIONALE CELEBRAZIONI PUCCINIANE 2004-2008 TEATRO DEL GIGLIO Teatro di Tradizione STAGIONE LIRICA 2005-6 In collaborazione con Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali Regione Toscana Amministrazione Provinciale di Lucca Comune di Lucca Teatro del Giglio Centro studi Giacomo Puccini Fondazione Giacomo Puccini Lucca MANON LESCAUT AZIENDA TEATRO DEL GIGLIO Ilaria Del Bianco Presidente Gianni Simonetti Vice Presidente Lorenzo Azzi Marcello Petrozziello Luigi Viani Consiglieri Aldo Tarabella Direttore artistico Luigi Angelini Direttore generale TEATRO DEL GIGLIO - Teatro di Tradizione Stagione Lirica 2005-6: 16 settembre 2005 - 12 marzo 2006 Pubblicazione del Teatro del Giglio Numero unico, novembre 2005 A cura del TEATRO DEL GIGLIO e del CENTRO STUDI GIACOMO PUCCINI Ricerca iconografica Simonetta Bigongiari Progetto grafico Marco Riccucci Stampa Nuova Grafica Lucchese - Lucca - novembre 2005 Sommario 9 Introduzione del Sindaco di Lucca 11 Premessa del Presidente del Teatro del Giglio 15 Arthur Groos Manon Lescaut e il corso di una «passione disperata» 21 Adriana Guarnieri Corazzol Le polifonie di Manon Lescaut 39 La vicenda 41 Manon Lescaut facsimile del libretto Ricordi (1893) 103 Manon Lescaut a Lucca 107 Walter Pagliaro «Passione disperata» (Appunti di regia) Fondazione Teatro della Città di Livorno «C. Goldoni» Presidente Marco Bertini Direttore amministrativo -
Manon Lescaut Inspirado En La Novela Del Mismo Titulo Del Abate Pré VIRGINIA ZEANI Vost, Música De Giacomo Manon Lescaut Puccini
~~Y~~/~ ;/cY~7/;/_972 temporada de ópera 1971-1972 conmemorativa de sus CXXV años de actividad artística 3~~~/UUJ JOYERO MTRO. PEREZ CABRE RO, 4. TEL. 239 70 07. 8ARCELONA·6 CXXV A N IVERSARIO MEDALLA OFICIAL EN ORO Y P LATA TAMAÑOS ORO 22 QUILATES grs. 7 mm. 24 - grs. 17 1f2 mm. 32 - grs. 35 mm. 45 TAMAÑO UNICO EN PLATA 1000/1000 mm. 45 SE HA ENCARGADO LA REA LIZACION Y DISTRIBUCION DE LA MEDALLA CONME MORATIVA, A LA PR ESTIG IOSA FIRMA (lO NUMISMATICA IBERICA, S. A. DE BARCELONA Balmes. 195 • Tels. 227 27 00 • 2i7 90 18 • Telex 53047 NUMIS lldYd DE CRUCERO d PdiSES DE dTRdCTIIIO Cllmd mERIDIOndL CLASICOS CRUCEROS de INVIERNO desde Ptas. 8.200 Tlplca taberna i nglesa con especialidades de cocína NAVIDAD 20 al 28 o1cbre. M/N CARIBIA BARCELONA-TANOêR-MALAGA-ARGEl PALMA - GENOVA-B ;. r. ~ ELONA FIN DE AÑO 28 Dic. - 6 E nero M/N CARIBIA Ablerto hasta las tres de la BARCELONA-MALAGA-TAN&ER·LISBOA madrugada CASABLANCA·AR&El-BARCELONA NAVIDAD Y FIN DE AÑO M/N IRPINIA 21 Dic. - 2 Enero BARCELONA-LAS PALMAS-TENERIFE DAKAR-BATHURST-LAS PALMAS-IMADRIDI SOUCITC fOLLITO INfOftMATIVO A TODO COLOft Paseo de Gracia, 50 • au AGENCIA Ol VIA,.JIS • a loa Atentea GeneraiH 4e SIDSA UNE.S Teléfono 215 99 66 Barcelona - 7 CONDEMINAS, S. A. Pueode Colón, 9-11 Tol 2326•20 PELETERO INOUSTRI A . 7 9 . 1.•, 1.' TEL. 258 88 43 BARCEL ONA · 13 Primera representación del drama lírico en cuatro actos, libreto de autores diversos, Manon Lescaut inspirado en la novela del mismo titulo del Abate Pré VIRGINIA ZEANI vost, música de Giacomo Manon Lescaut Puccini. -
Scherzo Abril 2015 1.Indd
REVISTA DE MÚSICA Año XXX - Nº 306 - Abril 2015 - 7’50 € Año XXX - Nº 306 Abril 2015 AF2_TR_Temp_15-16_200x280_Scherzo.pdf 1 04/03/15 17:22 DESCUBRE LA NUEVA TEMPORADA ABÓNATE YA A LA MEJOR ÓPERA 15_16 Y ELIGE ENTRE 16 TIPOS DE ABONO DE ÓPERA Y DANZA ÓPERA Roberto Devereux Donizetti B. Campanella · A. Yurkevych · Alessandro Talevi 22 septiembre_8 octubre 2015 Händel Alcina Christopher Moulds · David Alden 27 octubre_10 noviembre 2015 Rigoletto Verdi Nicola Luisotti · David McVicar 30 noviembre_29 diciembre 2015 Mozart La flauta mágica Ivor Bolton · Barrie Kosky 16_30 enero 2016 La prohibición de amar Wagner Ivor Bolton · Kasper Holten 19 febrero_5 marzo 2016 C Benjamin Written on Skin M Christopher Purves · Barbara Hannigan 17 marzo 2016 Y Parsifal Wagner Semyon Bychkov · Paul Weigold · Claus Guth 2_30 abril 2016 CM MY CY Verdi Luisa Miller CMY Moisés y Aarón Schönberg James Conlon 23_26 abril 2016 K Lothar Koenings · Romeo Castellucci 24 mayo_17 junio 2016 Ullmann El emperador de la Atlántida Pedro Halffter · Gustavo Tambascio 10_18 junio 2016 I Puritani Bellini Evelino Pidò · Emilio Sagi 4_24 julio 2016 Verdi I due Foscari P. Heras-Casado 12_18 julio 2016 DANZA Staatsballett de Berlín And the Sky on that Cloudy Old Day · Static Time · White Darkness · La bella durmiente 4_9 septiembre 2015 Sasha Waltz Consagración · Escena de amor · Preludio a la siesta de un fauno 9_12 marzo 2016 Compañía Nacional de Danza In the Night · Suite (trío) · Raymonda Divertimento · Homenaje a Enrique Granados 22_26 julio 2016 Abonos de ópera y danza ya a -
Manon Lescaut
MANON LESCAUT PUCCINI Argument MT / 3 Manon Lescaut Argument 4 / 5 Manon Lescaut torna al Liceu amb la coproducció del Gran Teatre del Liceu, el Teatro di San Carlo de Nàpols i el Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía de València. (Teatro di San Carlo – Laura Ferrari) Fitxa La veu de Manon: 6 / 7 un primer vestigi 11 51 d’heroïna pucciniana Mar Medinyà 12 Repartiment Paula Alonso Entrevista a 14 Amb el teló abaixat 61 Jorge de León Manon Lescaut Argument 67 al Liceu 19 Jaume Tribó English Synopsis 29 Cronologia 72 Jordi Fernández M. Notes del director 39 Davide Livermore Selecció d’enregistraments Francesca Zardini 83 Verónica Maynés Manon o les passions Biografies 43 de l’ànima 86 Begoña Capllonch Carlos Martínez Manon Lescaut El programa de mà de Manon Lescaut ha estat elaborat, en part, per estudiants universitaris gràcies als convenis de col·laboració existents entre el Gran Teatre del Liceu, la Universitat de Barcelona i la Univer- sitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Efectivament, aquest programa inclou una selecció dels millors treballs, fruit de la tasca feta a l’aula pels alumnes de l’assignatura Música, gest i paraula que imparteix el Dr. Jaume Radigales al màster La música com a art interdisciplinari, dirigit pel Dr. Xosé Aviñoa i la tas- ca feta pels alumnes de les assignatures Història de l’Òpera del grau de Musicologia i La recerca musical a l’entorn urbà contemporani del màster de Musicologia, educació musical, i interpretació de la música antiga que imparteix el Dr. Francesc Cortès. A més el Liceu també ha col·laborat amb L’Escola Massana que ha participat il·lustrant el programa amb obres inspirades en Manon Les- caut. -
INDEPENDENT AUSTRALIAN LABELS, 1955 to 1980
AUSTRALIAN RECORD LABELS MUSIC FOR MIGRANTS: ETHNIC RECORD LABELS IN AUSTRALIA 1950–1980 COMPILED BY MICHAEL DE LOOPER MAY 2021 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS GRATEFUL THANKS TO: PAUL DAVIES, MIKE G. JURKEVICH, PAUL KRAVCHENKO, ROSS LAIRD, JOHN WHITEOAK THE CONTRIBUTORS TO WWW.45CAT.COM AND WWW.DISCOGS.COM SOME CONTINENTAL RECORD STORES OF THE PAST NEW SOUTH WALES / A.C.T. CANBERRA: CAPITAL MARKET, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA KINGSFORD: ODEON MUSIC HOUSE, 8 GARDNERS RD MARRICKVILLE: ODEON MUSIC HOUSE, 273 ILLAWARRA RD MASCOT: NEW ERA CONTINENTAL RECORDS, 944 BOTANY RD MASCOT: MINION, 948 BOTANY RD NEWCASTLE: ATLAS, 6 BEAUMONT ST, ISLINGTON NEWTOWN: ODEON MUSIC HOUSE, 156 KING ST SYDNEY: CARINIA CO., DAKING HOUSE, RAWSON PLACE SYDNEY: DISCOWORLD, 235 ELIZABETH ST SYDNEY: EUROPA RECORDS PTY LTD, 484 GEORGE ST SYDNEY: GLOBE GIFT SHOP, 696 GEORGE ST SYDNEY: INGOS, SUITE 10 CONCOURSE, WYNYARD RAMP SYDNEY: ODEON MUSIC HOUSE, 94 BATHURST ST SYDNEY: STANLEY YOUNG, 155 BATHURST ST WOLLONGONG: ODEON MUSIC HOUSE WOLLONGONG: YOUR CENTRE, 50 CROWN ST VICTORIA BRUNSWICK: PHONOVOX, 155 SYDNEY RD BRUNSWICK: YIANNOPOULOS, 529 SYDNEY RD CARLTON: EMPORIO N. BORSARI, 201 LYGON ST CARLTON: MONDO MUSIC, 304 LYGON ST PRAHRAN: YIANNOPOULOS, 375 CHAPEL ST RICHMOND: KARTANOS, 164 BRIDGE RD MELBOURNE: CARAS MUSIC STORE, 189 & 215 LONSDALE ST MELBOURNE: SALAPATAS, LONSDALE ST MELBOURNE: EUROPA RECORDS PTY LTD, 115 ELIZABETH ST MELBOURNE: PAN-CONTINENTAL / ODEON MUSIC HOUSE, 246 RUSSELL ST MELBOURNE: YIANNOPOULOS, 244 SWANSTON ST MELBOURNE: VICTOR SCOTT, 90 ELIZABETH ST QUEENSLAND BRISBANE: WEST END MUSIC, 153 BOUNDARY ST BRISBANE: YOUNGS’ MUSIC SHOP, 79 ELIZABETH ST INNISFAIL: L.B. WILLIAS, 74 EDITH ST TOWNSVILLE: N. -
Maria Callas · Performance Annals 1934
MARIA CALLAS PERFORMANCE ANNALS AND DISCOGRAPHY INTRODUCTION These annals began in 1988 as a few notes scribbled to a computer in Boulder Colorado when the first pirates of the live performances appeared on compact disc. The inconsistency of performance dates and other details on those early CDs prompted me to do further research that began with John Ardoin’s The Callas Legacy. Later, yearning to know what had been performed between all those recorded performances, I borrowed the book containing Arthur Germond’s performance annals from the University of Colorado Music School Library, and have continued to work on the project to this day. Performance annals allow us to comprehend the scope of an artist’s career, and knowing the programme of all participants in a recital is important. I realize that presenting entire programmes from the student years in Athens seems excessive, but I feel it enhances our understanding of the environment where Maria Callas lived and studied in her youth. This chronology is a compilation of the research of many people. The work of a few has been almost heroic in scope: Arthur Germond was the first to publish detailed annals representing all cast changes; John Ardoin was perhaps the first to compile annals and to comprehensively analyze the recorded performances, indeed these annals began their life as a tabular version of Legacy; Poly´vios Marsán was the first to present programme information from the Greek school days and early career in Athens; Níkos Petsális-Diomídis has published the most comprehensive analysis of any singer’s formative years ever undertaken, indeed one-thousand pages covering a seven year period 1938-1945 with emphasis on early musical experience and training, as well as the politics and the climate of the times. -
Puccini's La Fanciulla Del West
Puccini’s La fanciulla del West - A discographical survey by Ralph Moore There are sixty recordings in the catalogue but only four of those are studio-made. Discounting Puccini’s first, tentative efforts, the comparative neglect of La fanciulla del West is matched only by La rondine, which has also been given only four studio recordings and even fewer live performances. They were both composed in the middle of Puccini’s creative maturity after the premieres of the “Big Three”, yet have struggled to maintain a foothold in the operatic repertoire. There are reasons for that, but devotees of both operas are puzzled by their neglect. Fanciulla could hardly have a more auspicious premiere, being launched in 1910 on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera starring no less a lead singer than the greatest tenor of all time, Enrico Caruso, alongside the great dramatic soprano Emmy Destinn, both in roles created by Puccini especially for them – and for good measure, Pasquale Amato was Jack Rance, Toscanini conducting. Time machine, anybody? Although I do not share Puccini's belief that Fanciulla is his greatest work it contains a wealth of lovely music, not least big, well-known arias and some tender love music. It's true that the Americanisms - everyone bawling "Hello!" and randomly singing “Dooda day!” - and the rather ghastly, patronising depiction of Native Americans going "Ugh!" are rather grating and even embarrassing to a modern audience, and there is more than a hint of sentimentality about the plot, but it can be hugely enjoyable when performed by a great cast. -
(The Other) La Boheme
: {} () b HH LU e r 0 S-462/3 ag Wy on: 0°9 7 q S C | “¢@ O & O py rm H 2 a = aS OSC/\3s68 4 see oo, oe poe = rl — i a S a2 c> ee Li ee ca ee See = Se 1S go = |fa ee, = 1 eS Sx ee ee oe Ss = ke ot =o) oo. oS = eS = 60 BER ww Brows ; i n : u : 0 z p F : | LOE CIAL ADL AGNI A GODOT i a SoA tome (THE OTHER) LA BOHEME a LEONCAVALLO Co Wor” ~ CHARACTERS RUDOLPH wAr poet. fees VER PSIN oes sceee GUIDO MAZZING, Baritone SCHAUNARD, @ MUSALCLANs secceseeeceseese ORAZIO GUALTIERI, Baritone MINT SFC (2R ORE Gs 5. sccecsewees secede ss ANDUNTETIN M, MEDICI, soprano MARCEL, @ PQdntercececscccessceseccees ANTONIO ANNALORO, tenor COLLINE, a philosopher... ccccsecsecess GUILTO MONTANO, baritone USENET Ata eNiot cke.c's Ges sites twee cumess NEDDALCASAL. BinlezZom No Dany EUFEMMIA, A LAUNdNedSsccececeececesees ANNA LIA BAZZANI, mezzo-soprano MAN ON THE FIRST FLOOR peels oat GAUDENZI0, owner of Momus Cafe) OTL ORENM, BEBO ty hang UN BECERO a DURAND, a doorkeeper) ee CESARE MASINI SPERTI, tenor BARBEMUCHE, a man of Lettenrd..seeeeees BRUNO CIONT, bass Students, Work Ginks, Citizens, Shopkeepers, Stneet Vendors, Soldiers, Redtanuant Waiters, Boys, Ginks, etc. Time about 1830 - in Parks SAN REMO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS OF TEATRO COMMUNALE DI BOLOGNA Conducted by ALberto Zedda Chonus Conducted by Angelo Ascher THE CETRA OPERA SERIES AN EVEREST RECORDS PRODUCTION | WRITE FOR FREE CATALOG/ 10920 WILSHIRE BLVD., LOS ANGELES, CALIF. 90024 S-462/3 SYNOPSIS The opera is founded on Henri Murger’s book “La Vie de Bohéme.” ACT I nd Marcel are sitting in the latter’s attic-studio in the Quartier ee ee Marcel is absorbed in his painting. -
Puccini's Manon Lescaut
Puccini’s Manon Lescaut: A discographical survey by Ralph Moore Manon Lescaut, Puccini’s third opera, premiered in 1893, was his first big success. However, its origins were not auspicious; the libretto was cobbled together by input from no fewer than seven contributors, including the composer himself, the librettist for his “Big Three”, Luigi Illica, his publisher, Ricordi, and the composer of I Pagliacci, Leoncavallo. Manon Lescaut tells a good, solid story, as previous settings of Abbé Prévost’s novel of 1731 had already demonstrated, but the narrative undoubtedly has its flaws and it certainly has some structural weaknesses incurred by the omission of significant event. As a result, the action is rather episodic: for example, we leap from the young lovers’ escape to Paris at the end of Act 1 to the start of Act 2 depicting Manon already having ditched Des Grieux for the comfort of Geronte’s wealth. Motivation is questionable, too; one might wonder why the same Lescaut who in Act 1 was prepared to facilitate Geronte’s abduction of his sister supposedly en route to a convent, suddenly In Act 2 feels moved to help reunite his sister with her ex-lover Des Grieux - although one might argue that he is moved and convinced by the sincerity of Manon’s empty misery as Geronte’s trophy. Finally, Puccini resorts to the faintly absurd expedient of inventing a non- existent Louisiana desert as the location for Manon’s demise rather than the wilderness depicted in the novel – while Massenet dispensed with the New Orleans episode altogether and has his Manon die more credibly on the road to Le Havre.