Premiere Dramma lirico in four acts by Libretto by Luigi Illica, Domenico Oliva, Giulio Ricordi and Marco Praga based on Abbé Prévost

Sung in Italian with German and English surtitles

Conductor: Lorenzo Viotti / Takeshi Moriuchi (October 18th, November 9th, 15th, 23rd 2019) Director: Àlex Ollé Set Designer: Alfons Flores Costume Designer: Lluc Castells Lighting Designer: Joachim Klein Video: Emmanuel Carlier Chorus Master: Tilman Michael

Dramaturge: Stephanie Schulze

Manon Lescaut: Asmik Grigorian Lescaut: Iurii Samoilov Chevalier Renato Des Grieux: Joshua Guerrero Geronte de Ravoir: Donato Di Stefano Edmondo: Michael Porter Landlord: Magnús Baldvinsson Musician: Bianca Andrew Dancing Master: Jaeil Kim Lamplighter: Santiago Sánchez Sergeant: Božidar Smiljanić

Captain: Pilgoo Kang

Oper Frankfurt's Chorus and Extras; Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester

With generous support from the Frankfurt Patronatsverein – Sektion Oper

Manon Lescaut by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) was performed for the first time in Turin, in 1893. This work, which quickly started being performed in other countries, was laid the foundation for this Italian composer's success, which continued with La Bohème, and . A decade earlier Jules Massenet was also inspired by the material upon which Puccini's third opera was based: Histoire du Chevalier Des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut (1731) a novel by the French author Abbé Prévost. No fewer than eight writers were involved in creating the libretto, including the composer, who oversaw radical cuts.

This work returns to the stage in Frankfurt 20 years after Alfred Kirchner's production.

The story: Manon, being taken to a convent on her father's orders, arrives in Amiens with her brother Lescaut. A student, Des Grieux, falls in love with her first sight. But the tax collector Geronte has taken a fancy to the girl and plans to abduct her. Des Grieux beats him to it and runs away with Manon. She leaves him for Geronte, as he is unable to fulfil her luxurious requirements. They live together in prosperity, until her longings for Des Grieux become too strong. Once reunited, they plan to escape. Manon is arrested and deported. Des Grieux is allowed to accompany her to America. Manon dies in her lover's arms during their attempt to flee once more.

The conductor is Lorenzo Viotti, back in Frankfurt after Werther and Tosca. He became Chief Conductor of the Orquestra Gulbenkian in Lisbon in 2018/19 and takes up the same position at Dutch National Opera & Ballet in Amsterdam in 2021/22. Plans include Gounod's Roméo et Juliette at La Scala Milan and La Bohème at the Opéra National de Paris. Àlex Ollé (director) is a member of the internationally sought-after Catalan Artist Collective La Fura dels Baus, who made his debut in Frankfurt in 2016/17 with a double-billout of La Damoiselle élue / Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher (revival this season). He returns to La Scala Milan in 2020 for Montemezzi's L’amore dei tre re. After her phenomenal success as Strauss’ Salome at the 2018 Salzburg Festival (revived 2019) Asmik Grigorian (Manon) made her triumphant debut in Frankfurt as Tchaikovsky's Iolanta. Recently she was named from magazine Opernwelt as „Singer oft the Year“ 2019. The American Tenor Joshua Guerrero is making his operatic debut in Germany as Des Grieux. Engagements this season include Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly in Glyndebourne (2018) and Rodolfo in La bohème in Toronto (2019). Led by Iurii Samoilov (Lescaut) nearly all the other roles are being performed by Members of Oper

Frankfurt's Ensemble and Opera Studio.

Premiere: Sunday October 6 2019, at 18.00hrs in the Opera House

Further performances: October 10th, 13th (18.00hrs), 18th, 25th, 27th (15.30hrs), November 2nd, 9th (18.00hrs), 15th, 23rd 2019

Unless otherwise stated, these performances begin at 19.30hrs

Tickets cost: € 15 to € 165 (with a 12.5% pre-booking fee when not purchased direct from the theatre)

Tickets can be obtained from the usual outlets, by telephone +49 (0)69 – 212 49 49 4 or online www.oper-frankfurt.de.

We do hope you might be able to publish this event. For further information, ordering photographs and reserving press tickets please contact Holger Engelhardt (Leitung Pressereferat) on +49 (0)69 – 212 46 727. His fax number is +49 (0)69 – 212 37 164 or you can email him on [email protected]