Organization

Stage director

Ansgar Weigner

Conductor

Frank Beermann

Set designer

Dieter Richter

Costume designer

Renate Schmitzer

Dramaturge

Carla Neppl

Singer

Soprano

Astrid Weber

Manon Lescaut

Baritone

Heiko Trinsinger

Lescaut

Tenor

Zurab Zurabishvili

The knight René Des Grieux

Bass

Kouta Räsänen

Geronte de Revoir

Edward Randall

Edmond

Martin Gäbler

Matthias Winter

The naval captain

Jürgen Mutze

The dance master

Theater Chemnitz

Others

Chor der Oper Chemnitz

Chemnitz

Germany

Opernhaus Chemnitz

Ansgar Weigner presents a remarkable production of Manon Lescaut by Giacomo Puccini, the first opera composed by the Italian maestro.

Premiered in 1889 at the Teatro Regio (Turin, Italy), Manon Lescaut is an opera in four acts and Giacomo Puccini's first success. The plot was written after L'Histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut ("The Story of the knight Des Grieux and Manon Lescaut") by the Abbé Prévost, a French author of the 18th century. Two other operas drew their inspiration from the same novel: Manon by Jules Massenet and Manon Lescaut by Daniel Auber (more recently, Kenneth MacMillan made a ballet of Manon's story: L'Histoire de Manon).

Manon Lescaut's plot is a tragic love story between Manon and her lover Des Grieux, of whom the hope to live together is always thwarted by a lack of money, the wickedness of a rival, a deportation to the United States. Once arrived in the virgin lands of Louisiana, Manon and Des Grieux are in a state of utter exhaustion and suffer from malnutrition. After a vain attempt to find water to quench their thirst, Manon dies in the arms of her lover Des Grieux ("Fra le tue braccia, amore").

Astrid Weber (Manon Lescaut) and Zurab Zurabishvili (Des Grieux) embody with majesty this unfortunate couple, together until their last breath.

Public

Approved

Ansgar Weigner présente une remarquable mise en scène de Manon Lescaut de Giacomo Puccini, le premier opéra du maître italien.

Créé en 1889 au Teatro Regio de Turin, Manon Lescaut est un drame lyrique en quatre actes et le premier grand succès de Puccini. L'intrigue s'inspire de L'Histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut de l'Abbé Prévost, œuvre qui servit de modèle à deux autres opéras, un de Jules Massenet et un autre de Daniel Auber. Plus récemment, le chorégraphe Kenneth MacMillan a adapté le célèbre roman pour en faire l'un des ballets les plus poignants du répertoire moderne (voir L'Histoire de Manon de Kenneth MacMillan).

Manon Lescaut relate l'histoire tragique de Manon et de son amant des Grieux, dont les tentatives de vivre ensemble sont constamment contrariées par un manque d'argent, la méchanceté d'un rival ou une déportation aux États-Unis. Ayant finalement rejoint les terres encore vierges de la Louisiane, Manon et des Grieux souffrent de fatigue et de malnutrition, et après une vaine tentative de trouver de l'eau pour étancher leur soif et soulager leur accablement, Manon décède dans les bras de son amant des Grieux (« Fra le tue braccia, amore »).

Astrid Weber (Manon Lescaut) et Zurab Zurabishvili (Des Grieux) incarnent avec brio et sensibilité ce couple malheureux mais uni jusque dans la mort malgré l'adversité qu'ils eurent à affronter.

français

Ansgar Weigner presents a remarkable staging of Manon Lescaut by Giacomo Puccini, the first opera by the Italian master.

Premiered in 1889 at the Teatro Regio in Turin, Manon Lescaut is a lyrical drama in four acts and Puccini's first major success. The plot is inspired by L'Histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by Abbé Prévost, a work that served as a model for two other operas, one by Jules Massenet and another by Daniel Auber. More recently, choreographer Kenneth MacMillan adapted the famous novel to make it one of the most poignant ballets in the modern repertoire (see Kenneth MacMillan's L'Histoire de Manon ).

Manon Lescaut tells the tragic story of Manon and her lover from Les Grieux, whose attempts to live together are constantly thwarted by a lack of money, the wickedness of a rival or deportation to the United States. Having finally reached the still virgin lands of Louisiana, Manon and des Grieux suffer from fatigue and malnutrition, and after a vain attempt to find water to quench their thirst and relieve their despondency, Manon dies in the arms of her lover. des Grieux (“Fra le tue braccia, amore”).

Astrid Weber (Manon Lescaut) and Zurab Zurabishvili (Des Grieux) brilliantly and sensitively embody this unhappy but united couple even in death despite the adversity they had to face.

English

Manon Lescaut by Puccini, From (2008/2008), Directed by Ansgar Weigner,, Conductor Frank Beermann, Opernhaus Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

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Ensemble

Program, About & Synopsis

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