Gran Teatre del Liceu: Manon Lescaut

About the Event

Immerse yourself in the intense realm of 18th‐century romance and sorrow with 'Manon Lescaut' at the prestigious Gran Teatre del Liceu.

'Manon Lescaut,' an opera in four acts debuted in 1893 at the Teatro Regio in Turin, is inspired by Abbé Prévost’s 1731 novel L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et Manon Lescaut, which also sparked the creation of Jules Massenet's opera 'Manon.' Puccini himself once noted to his publisher: “Manon is a heroine I believe in, and therefore, she cannot fail to win the audience's heart. Why can't there be two operas about Manon? A woman like Manon can have more than one lover.”

This opera was Puccini's third and marked his initial rise to significant acclaim. It established his enduring reputation and initiated his successful collaboration with librettists Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, with whom he later created three masterpieces: La bohème (1896), Tosca (1900), and Madama Butterfly (1904).

Manon's encounter with the young student Des Grieux leads to love and their elopement, but when the wealthy Geronte offers Manon a life of luxury, she hesitates and chooses material pleasures. Yet, she cannot forget Des Grieux, and they attempt to escape together. Before they succeed, Geronte has Manon imprisoned. As they flee again, unaware of their impending doom, Manon collapses from exhaustion and dies in Des Grieux's arms, declaring her love. Their struggles were in vain.

The score is lavish and vibrant, filled with youthful exuberance and magnificent melodies: from the passionate duet of Des Grieux and Manon, 'Vedete? io son fedele,' to the heartrending desolation of Manon’s final aria, “Sola, perduta, abbandonata,” along with “Donna non vidi mai” in Act I and “In quelle trine morbide” in Act II.

Àlex Ollé's production hails from the Frankfurt Opera. In its introductory videos, Manon and her brother Lescaut are portrayed crossing a border fence as illegal immigrants. Her beauty and allure lead to harassment, abuse, and exploitation. With Lluc Castells’ urban costumes and Alfons Flores’ set design, Ollé places these characters, caught between love and moral dilemmas, in settings like a bus station, a pole‐dance club where Manon shines, or confined cells foreshadowing deportation. Giant LOVE letters persistently remind the audience of the unpredictable romantic passion threading through the opera.

Asmik Grigorian, celebrated as one of today’s top sopranos, delivers an extraordinary vocal and dramatic performance. The Manon envisioned by Ollé, combined with American tenor Joshua Guerrero, portrays innocence, vulnerability, frivolity, and intense passion. It stands as a highlight of the Gran Teatre del Liceu’s season.