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Barry Millington's rating
, Manon provides inspirational times in high society
By
Barry Millington
23 Jun 2010
Fit only for a public “which regards music as an agreeable after-dinner entertainment” was how the writer of the authoritative Grove’s Dictionary described Massenet’s operas in 1954. One would hesitate to venture such an opinion today — if only for fear of retribution. Yet there are moments in Manon, mostly in the first two acts, when the charge of meretricious diversion seems justified.
The Royal Opera effectively counters that charge by bringing in the inspirational French director Laurent Pelly to search out the work’s social critique, and by casting two stars in the central roles.
Manon is the tragedy of a woman who chooses the good life over true love and lives to regret it. She’s the good-time girl lusted after by Second Empire phallocrats (Pelly updates the action to Massenet’s own time) hiding their libidinous urges behind top hats and mutton-chop whiskers.
Stunning in a flouncy pink dress with white frills and ritzy hat, Anna Netrebko is a striking Manon. Pelly has his lechers circle her, gasping with admiration but groping like predators. Netrebko’s Manon has them in the palm of her hand, her control underlined by her formidable vocal delivery, complete with stratospheric E flat.
Their prurience is highlighted by Pelly when ballerinas arrive from the Opéra. Adopting crouching postures, they lift tutus with their canes, the better to see what they can expect after the show.
Manon, meanwhile, follows her abandoned lover, Des Grieux, to church, bare-armed and with heaving décolletage — clearly an impenitent sinner. In the gaming scene of the next act Netrebko arrives in a screaming cerise off-the-shoulder number. It’s a tough role for her. But if that frock marks the nadir of her venality, Netrebko is able to transform herself, both physically and vocally, into the shabbily dressed outcast of the last act. Shame she has to take her curtain-call in rags.
It’s during the gaming scene, however, that Antonio Pappano and his singers finally achieve the white-hot intensity one was hoping for. More than matching Netrebko for passion and control was the Des Grieux of the young Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo, making his debut at Covent Garden. The thunderous ovation he received at curtain-call suggested that the audience sensed the birth of a star.
Until July 10. Information: 020 7304 4000; roh.org.uk
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Reader views (6)
Ms. Netrebko has not been able to sing a high Eflat in several years now and a careful review of the score shows that there are no places for written or interpolated high Eflats unless she was singing sharp or out of tune. Ms. Netrebko's voice has been growing bigger and lower and would seem to be more suitable for Manon Lescaut by Puccini which does not require the range of colours and nuance that Massenet's score does. No wonder Millington referred more to her costumes than to her characterization.
- Kathryn Boussemart, Palm Beach, USA, 26/01/2012 17:10
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I saw the performance on 28/06. It was thrilling in every way. Netrebko in excellent voice and young Vittorio Grigolo surely destined for a big career. The two of them are vocally very compatible. The production was very well thought out, the sets and costumes conveyed the essence of the story and the general stage direction clear and without the usual overclutter favoured by so many directors these days. The singing first rate and the orchestra at its best.. No wonder almost all the critics agreed that it was a great evening at the opera!! It is a very rare treat these days to find all the elements of an opera production satisfying. I hope that the ROH bring it out on DVD.
- I. Atkinson, Athens Greece, 20/08/2010 18:42
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The performance was magnificent! The casting was unusually even with Grigolo & Netrebko a perfect match. The vocal performances meshed with terrific acting. Aside from a few pushed cadences, Grigolo sang with thrilling intensity. Netrebko was a believable coquette who did well by Massenet's score. I must mention the great orchestral work also with fine wind & string solos. Bravissima!
- Keith Dom Powell, Appleton, WI USA, 25/06/2010 21:55
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I agree with Jamie Henderson. By the way, what happened to Karita Mattilla?
- Maria-Jose Pascual, London, 24/06/2010 01:54
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Manon has high D's....but no Eb's....unless she was singing sharp continually all night.
- Ron, NYC USA, 23/06/2010 23:14
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It's a shame that Millington tells us more about Netrebko's outfits (whilst implying that SHE is the shallow one!) than he tells about her - or the rest of the cast's - vocal qualities.
- Jamie Henderson, London, UK, 23/06/2010 18:05
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