The return of the tragedy manon lescaut and of the Chevalier Des Grieux to the high school, in Massenet’s version, he came with a diametrically different approach to the last time the work was staged on the same stage in 2007. An updated, controversial and visually innovative vision of Olivier Py (2016), whose performances the Gran Teatre dedicates to Victoria de Los Ángeles in the year of her centenary.
More than on the love story, the French ‘regista’ focuses his Manon Lescaut in the fall into the abyss of the protagonist, in that path that the girl undertakes by prostituting herself in search of a better life. The character created in 1731 by Antoine-François Prévost is transported in this production to a 21st century in which, as in the original, he flees from a destiny he denies to give himself up to love and the good life, which will lead him to perdition and death.
With a splendid set of movable modules and a wardrobe between kitsch and tacky, all by Pierre André Weitz, the environments created take the long-suffering protagonists to brothels and low-life hotels –with ‘Bieitian’ overtones–, all with a direction of detailed actors, whose choreographies are signed by the person who has replaced the work in Barcelona, Daniel Izzo. The action takes place with relative clarity, although the nuts are forced with the logical inconsistencies between what the descriptive script says through the mouths of the characters and the theatrical adaptation, beyond the current concept of family honor. But in the core it works: as much as things have changed since the time the novel that inspired the opera was written, there are aspects that are eternal.
unbeatable couple
It was lucky for the high school students to have a unsurpassed leading couple. the soprano Nadine Sierra he knew the theatrical proposal having performed it before, so his beautiful, velvety and full voice was joined by a psychologically mature character. At his level was the sensitive Des Grieux of Michael Fabiano, a complete interpreter, with a spectacular voice, who gave himself entirely to his role; impressive what he did in “En fermant les yeux & rdquor; and in the act of Saint-Sulpice, offering a moving portrait.
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Very suitable the actress-prostitute friends of Manon in charge of Ines Ballesteros, Anna Tobella and Anaïs Masllorens, as well as Alexandre Duhamel like Lescaut, except in the extreme treble. Laurent Naouri was an experienced Comte des Grieux and the cast was effectively completed by Albert Casals, Tomeu Bibiloni and Pau Armengol.
Marc Minkowski’s concert had a more than adequate result, bringing out a sumptuous sound from the Liceu Symphony and betting on a good projection of the members of the High School Choir.