The wonderful archive performances continue this week with a selection by soprano Asmik Grigorian.
We'll hear Mirella Freni in the title role of Puccini's "Manon Lescaut." Nello Santi is on the podium leading the cast that includes Peter Dvorsky (Des Grieux), Brian Schexnayder (Lescaut), and Italo Tajo (Geronte) . This performance was captured on March 17, 1990.
Based on a French novel from 1731, "Manon Lescaut" is the story of a young woman who probably should have gone to the convent as originally planned. The story made for a popular opera plot with several settings released before Puccini's in 1893.
The beautiful Manon arrives in Paris on the stage coach accompanied by her older brother (Lescaut) who is supposed to be escorting her to a convent. She catches the eye of a handsome student, Chevalier Renato des Grieux, and Geronte di Ravoir, an older gentleman who is the Treasurer General. Geronte conspires with Lescaut to abduct his sister but she takes off with des Grieux. Eventually, des Grieux and Manon part ways and she ends up in the household of Geronte. Now rich but bored, Manon calls on her brother to find des Grieux. Reunited, the young lovers are discovered by Geronte who has Manon arrested and sent to the port of Le Havre to be deported with other courtesans. She is put on a boat for New France and des Grieux talks his way on as a member of the crew. Sometime later the couple finds themselves in the desert wilderness of the New World where Manon dies in des Grieux's arms.
Tune in for "Manon Lescaut" - Saturday, February 21, at 1 p.m. here on Blue Lake Public Radio.
