Product Description

"Manon", wrote Puccini to his publisher Giulio Ricordi in 1889, "is a heroine I believe in and therefore she cannot fail to win the heart of the public." This turned out to be a truly prophetic statement since none of Puccini’s other world successes were received on their first nights as rapturously as Manon Lescaut. The popularity of Puccini’s great masterpiece has never waned and the highly acclaimed Götz Friedrich production at Covent Garden was hailed as an operatic milestone. Two of the world’s leading stars--Kiri Te Kanawa and Placido Domingo--head a strong cast conducted by the brilliant Italian conductor Giuseppe Sinopoli. Sung in Italian with English subtitles.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30003 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-11-18
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 129 minutes

Amazon.com
Placido Domingo and Kiri Te Kanawa were in top form vocally when this performance was recorded in 1984; Sinopoli's conducting is energetic and stylistically distinctive, and the staging strikes the proper notes of elegance in the early scenes and pathos in the tragic conclusion. This is not the only good video recording of Puccini's first masterpiece, but it ranks with the best.

Manon Lescaut is the story of a beautiful young woman who goes astray en route to a convent and drifts into life of self-indulgence, sexual exploitation, and crime, leading to her death as a convict, a story full of operatic situations. It inspired two operas in the standard repertoire, Puccini's and Massenet's earlier Manon. Puccini took a big risk going mano a mano with Massenet, but it worked; he did not eclipse Massenet, but this work gave his career a major boost. This production shows why it has captivated so many audiences. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews

Best Manon L. Video
This is the best video of Manon Lescaut with the very best cast available. The production values are excellent and singing unequaled, not even by Domingo in the Met production with Scotto. This is one of Kiri's strongest roles and there is no tenor that can touch Domingo's "favorite" role. Sir Thomas Allen is certainly one of my favorite baritones and is perfect as her brother. The acting is all on a par with the singing. I love this one and purchased one of the first VHS with subtitles so I'm happy with the quality of the tape, if a little faded. When I convert to DVD I'll definitely buy this again. Buy it if you love these singers, Puccini and Covent Garden!

Please re-release in SP mode or better yet on DVD
This is a truly great performance from very gifted cast of Placido Domingo, Kiri Te Kanawa, Thomas Allen, etc. I've seen number of opera productions on TV or video, this is certainly one of the best. They are in great voice and all of them are truly good actors, too. I really wish I could recommend this video. But the original VHS release is now out of print, and the releasing company made a terrible decision of recording it on EP mode, thus producing an inferior quality in video transfer. At the price tag of $30, this is totally unacceptable.

Manon - the best
In a line: The best performance ever. Kiri Te Kanawa and Placido Domingo hit it off the instant they enter the stage. Domingo is perfect as Des Grieux - one of his greatest roles. He uses his emotion and powerful voice to portray a helpless, in love and at the same time, moving, Des Griuex. Kiri Te Kanawa is the greatest Manon there ever was. She moves through the opera seamlessly displaying a gorgeous voice (regardless of a reported headcold at the time) and breathtaking acting ability. Act one is wonderful, Act 2 is brilliant (Te Kanawa throwing in every emotion - sadness, despair, laughter, mockery...all to perfection) and of course, the great love duet between these two sexy performers. Act 3 is wonderful, with Thomas Allen excelling himself as Manon's older brother. Act 4 is the icing on the cake - wonderful acting, moving music, great stage, and best of all - Manon's death scene - Te Kanawa is tear jerking, to say the very least. Domingo sobs like his heart is broken and it leaves you with a feeling that here is performance that will never be bettered.

Buy it! You will NOT regret it!