Manon Lescaut at Teatro Comunale di Bologna
About the Event
Puccini's third opera, Manon Lescaut, marks a significant turning point in his career, just like it did for Verdi. It is a debut that truly captivates the audience, paving the way for his later masterpieces such as Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly. However, this opera did not come to fruition without its fair share of challenges. The libretto went through multiple hands, including Giacosa, Illica, Leoncavallo, Oliva, Praga, Giulio Ricordi, and Puccini himself.
Based on Abbot Prévost's epistolary novel, which had already been adapted by Auber and Massenet, Manon Lescaut extracts four scenes, leaving behind many implied passages. The narrative logic takes a backseat to the expression of an intense, obsessive passion, symbolized by recurring motifs. The protagonist's final words, 'Le mie colpe travolgerà l'oblio, | ma l'amor mio non muor' (My sins will be engulfed in oblivion, | but my love shall not die), serve as a seal of this burning passion.
Manon Lescaut made its debut in Turin on 1 February 1893. At La Scala, on the 9th of the same month, it will be followed by Falstaff, as if in a symbolic handover between two generations: the serene smile of sunset and the fervor of youth.
Cast / Production
Conductor: Oksana Lyniv
Director: Leo Muscato
Nuova Produzione del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Orchestra Coro e Tecnici del TCBO
Choirmaster: Gea Garatti Ansini
Main characters and interpreters:
MANON LESCAUT: Erika Grimaldi (26 | 28 | 31 GEN)
LESCAUT: Claudio Sgura (26 | 28 | 31 GEN)
Gustavo Castillo (27 | 30 GEN)
RENATO DES GRIEUX: Luciano Ganci (26 | 28 | 31 GEN)
Roberto Aronica (27 | 30 GEN)
GERONTE DI RAVOIR: Giacomo Prestia
EDMONDO: Paolo Antognetti
IL MAESTRO DI BALLO: Bruno Lazzaretti
UN MUSICO: Aloisa Aisemberg
UN LAMPIONAIO: Cristiano Olivieri
UN COMANDANTE DI MARINA: Costantino Finucci
L’OSTE: Scuola dell’Opera
UN SERGENTE DEGLI ARCIERI: Scuola dell’Opera
Scenes: Federica Parolini
Costumes: Silvia Aymonino
Lights: Alessandro Verazzi
