DVD - Manon Lescaut

Manon Lescaut DVD: 'Those interested in seeing [José Cura] in top form need look no further than the Scala video of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut. In addition to an incomparably beautiful reading by Riccardo Muti and the La Scala Orchestra (the last act, tinged with the ashen colors of death, is almost unbearably painful), the video preserves Cura’s remarkable debut as Des Grieux. When asked what made his Manon different from Massenet’s, Puccini indicated that it was the prominence accorded the young chevalier, replying that he had “invested all [his] emotion in the voice of that man, wounded in his heart.” It is precisely this quality of vulnerability, of devastating emotional honesty, that sets Cura’s Des Grieux apart. Though Manon Lescaut has hardly lacked for distinguished tenor protagonists (Pertile, Bjoerling, and Domingo among them), this young man has already made his mark on the role: his soaring cries in Act IV, thrilling though they may be, transcend mere vocal beauty, conveying a desperate, almost animalistic anguish. To be sure, Cura takes some time to warm up, both musically and dramatically, but the overall performance makes one anticipate all the more keenly his forthcoming Erato recital of verismo arias…. American Record Guide

Manon Lescaut DVD: 'Guleghina and Cura are visually excellent and manage to convey the emotional aspects of the text dramatically. The production is excellent, thankfully conventional, and the costumes and sets are appropriate. Vocally Guleghina is more of a lyrico spinto rather than the pure lyric that is more appropriate for the role, yet she does manage to lighten the voice when required. Cura is both visually and vocally first rate. The supporting roles are well cast. I am unaware of any competing DVD version of this opera, and—principally because of the excellent visual quality and because the principal singers are fine—I find it is worth investigation by Puccini admirers. Subtitles are available; the sound and picture are both excellent.' Fanfare

Manon Lescaut DVD: 'Poised to inherit the mantle and the juicy operatic roles of the Three Tenors, José Cura has been subject to intense scrutiny. Does he have the vocal goods to match the pretty face and dashing figure? This live recording of Puccini's Manon Lescaut, recorded at La Scala in 1998, offers promising evidence. As the young student Des Grieux, Cura's presence is charismatic from the start, blossoming into a passionate rendition of the famous Act I tenor aria, "Donna non vidi mai." It's been noted that Cura's voice leans toward a darker, almost baritonal range, but while his top notes don't ring out á la Pavarotti, they're resonant enough to convince you that his future as an audience-pleasing heartthrob is both secure and deserved.....' Barnes and Nobles

Manon Lescaut DVD: 'This is a high-powered production from La Scala with Riccardo Muti conducting a star-studded cast (Maria Guleghina in the title role, supported by José Cura.) It is predictably excellent. Puccini's libretto is not as logically structured as Massenet's, but it is intensely impassioned, and Muti and his cast find this intensity very much to their taste.' Classical Music Reviews

Manon Lescaut DVD: This is a flat-out, heavy-breathing production, directed by Italian film- and-stage diva Liliana Cavani. With Maria Guleghina (Manon) and Jose Cura (des Grieux), she has two fine actors, pretty as movie stars, who pour on the sex. And, yes, they can sing. I had to keep fanning myself. ....Oakland Tribune

Manon Lescaut DVD: Maria Guleghina impresses strongly. To my mind she is Puccini’s ideal ‘tart with a heart for gold.’ Just watch her as she taunts Geronte di Ravoir (a far too gentlemanly Luigi Roni) in Act II and the way she disports herself on the floor of the stage to seduce Des Grieux back to her charms. José Cura, as Des Grieux, is in fine voice, colourful and ardent – I just wish he could have been that bit more furious with Manon in his Act II entrance. But his singing with Guleghina (their voices blending so well) ravishes the ear especially in their tempestuous Act II duets and in the intensity of their Act IV duet as Manon dies in the arms of a distraught Des Grieux. Throughout Muti supplies a beautiful, romantic, detailed orchestral backdrop. Avax

Manon Lescaut DVD, Milan, 1998: ‘This Manon Lescaut is a highly polished and dramatic interpretation of the lyrical tragedy performed at La Scala 1998. It features virtuoso performances by Jose Cura (in powerful and dramatically convincing form), Maria Guleghina (who produces some astoundingly sweet soft singing) and Lucio Gallo, and is conducted by Riccardo Muti, who brings out some fine contrasts and balances of tempos, drama and pace.’ Sky

Manon Lescaut DVD: ‘Manon Lescaut was last reviewed by [Fanfare] in Jan./Feb. 2006, when this same performance was given a passing note. I would be more enthusiastic, finding Muti an energizing force, while José Cura is devastating as Des Grieux. I am less enthusiastic about Maria Guleghina’s Manon. Once again, a traditional production staged by Liliana Cavani (also responsible for the filming) allows us to appreciate the work in its own right…’ Fanfair Magazine

Manon Lescaut DVD: ‘Friends of museum performance practice and historical costume variety will be delighted with the re-release of this DVD from 1998. Director Diana [sic] Cavani (costumes: Gabriella Pesccuci, stage: Dante Ferretti) works in a realistic décor exactly in the ambience given by the composer: the "second half of the 18th century." This alone should be the reason for any opera lover who feels damaged by the modern music theater of our day to buy this disc. More importantly, the singing is excellent and the production showcases one of today's great superstars, José Cura, at the beginning of his career. At the time all of Milan was at his feet. In this respect it is also a historical document. Cura has never sung a part better. [He] sings his donna non vidi mai in a refreshingly beautiful way. With Tu amore ... amore we are sure we have bought the right DVD. There it is, the wonderful piano and the freshness of this young and natural sounding pair of singers, Guleghina & Cura. Cura is not the big screamer but proves to be a pleasant singer who knows how to assess his abilities well and intelligently—if only he would not look up so often... With [No! Pazzo son!] the Puccini fan's heart is opened. This disk is worth the price for the fourth act alone. It is sung divinely in unison, and on the empty, stony stage where no collection of museum junk disturbing the scene. We die with the protagonists in devilishly beautiful Pucchini waves. This is how opera has to be recorded on DVD!’ Musenblätter

Note: This is a machine-based translation. We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive

Surprise of the Jaded

Forum Opera

Placido Carrerotti

Let's say it right away, this DVD, recorded in 1998 at La Scala in Milan, will surprise more than one listener. A prestigious conductor but one far removed from his favorite repertoire, soloists accustomed to the Arena of Verona, a rather wise director: nothing on paper would suggest anything better than an honest effort.

The result is quite different and we can welcome this new Manon Lescaut, which may not dethrone the old reference versions ((Renata Scotto at the Metropolitan in New York and Kiri Te Kanawa at Covent Garden) for some but which benefits from a modern technique and a particularly credible couple of lovers.

Accustomed to great vocal outbursts, Maria Guleghina completely renews her vocal approach: breath control, beautifully held piani, legato ... it's a long time since we had heard a Manon sung so well on stage; the actress is endearing, managing to make us forget that she is not exactly 15 years old.

José Cura relies on his "sex appeal" in portraying a young male experiencing first love but he is missing a bit of the fragility necessary to make the character credible. Overall the role is well sung, although the tenor has a little trouble varying the colors of a baritone voice that lacks brilliance in the high notes, launched with effort. The performance is moderately melodramatic, engagement compensating for refinement.

The other roles are quite marginal in the score: Lucio Gallo is a cynical Lescaut, probably flattered by the sound recording; the same can be said of veteran Luigi Roni as a sonorous Geronte. Special mention goes to Marco Berti who effortlessly triumphs over Edmondo's rather tense range.

At the head of the Orchestra de la Scala, Riccardo Muti imposes a refined reading, devoid of any easy effect, but nevertheless dramatically effective by a subtle mastery of the rise of the drama.

Cavani's staging will surprise, by its wisdom, those who only know of her from her cult film Portier de Nuit. The Italian director focuses mainly on the direction of her two main protagonists, and with success. The sets and costumes are classic in the Zeffirelli style, but without the luxury of the latter.

Overall, a DVD worthy of any good video library.

Note: This is a machine-based translation. We offer it only a a general guide but it should not be considered definitive

Manon Lescaut (Live at la Scala 1998)

Musenblätter

Peter Bilsing

2009

[Excerpt]

Friends of museum performance practice and historical costume variety will be delighted with the re-release of this DVD from 1998. Director Diana [sic] Cavani (costumes: Gabriella Pesccuci, stage: Dante Ferretti) works in a realistic décor exactly in the ambience given by the composer: the "second half of the 18th century." This alone should be the reason for any opera lover who feels damaged by the modern music theater of our day to buy this disc. More importantly, the singing is excellent and the production showcases one of today's great superstars, José Cura, at the beginning of his career. At the time all of Milan was at his feet. In this respect it is also a historical document. Cura has never sung a part better.

A brief chronology in the context of the file:

In the first act there is a lot of hustle and bustle, fluffy costumes, stagecoaches and a stage full of Styrofoam and wood. Everything was supposed to be historically authentic: real stagecoaches, the typical Scala columns (which you can lean against at any time), wooden benches, suitcases, there are even embroiderers in this station—eight of them work on a large tablecloth—and everyone sings great. It’s also museum-like in its theatrics devoid of any naturalness. Everyone acts as if they had to speak in deaf-mute language. You don't walk, you stride; images of important men appear again and again with their arms crossed in front of their chest and their heads thrown back; personal address means putting your hands on your friend's upper arms and looking deep into his eyes ... Well, at least nobody is staring permanently into the central camera. Cura sings his donna non vidi mai in a refreshingly beautiful way—while he constantly looks into the sky at the monitors, which seem to hang quite high in the Scala. Due to the lack of alternative recording positions it seems to seems to have been impossible to cut it away (for a different angle): it's like broadcasting a football game, the camera is always on the ball. However, a second camera perspective, inside the orchestra pit, can be seen from at least five angles during the preludes and interludes.

Why does Muti always seem so emotionless and arrogant? He looks constantly distressed; during the big final applause he showed not even the beginning of a smile. In principle we shouldn't care, because he plays this Puccini perfectly with the Scala orchestra, far from any criticism. One cannot escape the music, especially in the realistic Dolby Digital (strangely enough sounds better than DTS). And he always has the necessary fire with all the necessary sentiment and rubato, even with an occasional tendency to over-lushness.

With Tu amore ... amore we are sure we have bought the right DVD. There it is, the wonderful piano and the freshness of this young and natural sounding pair of singers, Guleghina & Cura. Cura is not the big screamer but proves to be a pleasant singer who knows how to assess his abilities well and intelligently—if only he would not look up so often...

The stage design of the third act is impressive, with half the Bounty put on the stage with precision craftsmanship and in the original size. The imprisoned and tortured women who are to be deported are all still impeccably made-up. I watched the scene three times in a row because it was so successful. With [No! Pazzo son!] the Puccini fan's heart is opened. And yet a constant question remains: why doesn't the camera ever pull back for a long shot? It seems like a punishment for the DVD viewer: because you weren’t there, you will not be allowed to see everything. Thankfully the director finally zoomed out for at least three seconds before the curtain falls.

When the curtain rises on the fourth act, the tension curve is already at its zenith and there will be no break [in that tension]. This disk is worth the price for the fourth act alone. It is sung divinely in unison, and on the empty, stony stage where no collection of museum junk disturbing the scene. We die with the protagonists in devilishly beautiful Pucchini waves. The finale erases the previous three museum-filled acts. The camera lets us experience the desert solitude with the magnificent sunset almost spatially. But why now the quick and jerky cut on the dying Manon? It hurts the soul! How much nicer it would have been, and also more fitting to the music, if the camera had slowly zoomed in on her as she lay on the ground—the camera works has no feeling for music. It is only in Sola perduta, abbandonata that image and music become one. Wonderful side light in the close-up. This is how opera has to be recorded on DVD!

Compared to the current Netrebko / Villazon disc, this recording has been around for a long time but please watch the fourth act first and then start the opera over again, not only because of the nerve-wracking Puccini feeling but also to better to understand why you should watch this DVD.