[Met Performance] CID:278370
Manon Lescaut {172} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/29/1984.
(Review)
Metropolitan Opera House
October 29, 1984
MANON LESCAUT {172}
Puccini-Praga/Oliva/Illica/Giacosa/Ricordi
Manon...................Mirella Freni
Des Grieux..............Ermanno Mauro
Lescaut.................David Holloway
Geronte.................Ara Berberian
Edmondo.................Kirk Redmann
Innkeeper...............Mario Bertolino
Solo Madrigalist........Diane Kesling
Madrigalist.............Beverly Hulse
Madrigalist.............Linda Mays
Madrigalist.............Joyce Olson
Madrigalist.............Sandra Bush
Dancing Master..........Andrea Velis
Sergeant................John Darrenkamp
Lamplighter.............Charles Anthony
Captain.................Andrij Dobriansky
Conductor...............Nello Santi
Production..............Gian Carlo Menotti
Staging Director........Pamela McRae
Designer................Desmond Heeley
Lighting designer.......Gil Wechsler
Manon Lescaut received eighteen performances this season.
Review from the Associated Press
Mirella Freni Is Exquisite Manon Lescaut
The Italian soprano Mirella Freni elevates the music she sings.
At Monday night's Metropolitan Opera "Manon Lescaut," it seemed the title character's first aria had never been such wonderful music.
Then Miss Freni's Manon Lescaut made her next aria also more beautiful music than remembered. We had to realize that Giacomo Puccini's music hadn't changed. It is just that an exquisite voice and high artistry like Miss Freni's present it with the glory that is there but too infrequently revealed.
Her voice has changed little since she made her Met debut in "La Bohème" in 1965. Neither time nor use has roughened it. She still looks young and pretty, too, and her acting is logical and affecting.
"The first team," we heard a patron mutter at an intermission. Unfortunately, that description covered most of the rest of the cast.
Conductor Nello Santi of Adria, Italy, did a fine job and received deserved applause, especially after the prelude to the third act.
We also liked bass Ara Barbarian of Detroit as the wealthy, elderly Gironde.
Tenor Ermanno Mauro of Trieste, as the young student Des Giroux, on this evening was favoring two volumes, a throttled-back soft and a blaring, strident loud. Baritone David Holloway of Grandview. Mo. as Manon's brother, was also, one assumes, not in his best voice.
Katia Ricciarelli of Rovigo, Italy, was scheduled to sing Manon Lescaut eight times this season. She is having problems with her neck, possibly caused by a previous auto accident, and had to cancel.
She canceled during the time that Miss Freni was in New York for an October 21 recital, [starting] Avery Fisher Hall's "Superstars of Song" series. Before that, Miss Freni had been singing in "Eugene Onegin" with the Chicago Opera.
Miss Freni was able to remain in New York for this season's first three performances of "Manon Lescaut," Monday night, Saturday afternoon and Tuesday of next week.
Soprano Adriane Maliponte of Brescia, Italy, will sing two for which she was scheduled, November 22 and 27, and four more. The November 10 matinee replacement will be announced.
Miss Freni had been scheduled at the Met this season only for a joint concert with tenor Luciano Pavarotti in March. They share a hometown, Modena, Italy.