Perfection is said to be the enemy of the good. One might argue that Puccini’s La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly are perfect operas, or close to it, momentarily setting aside Butterfly’s social issues. So, how do we enjoy Puccini’s Manon Lescaut which is “only” good? I would suggest attending Washington Concert Opera’s production with a stellar cast, taking advantage of an opportunity to hear the beautiful vocals and sumptuous music front and center in a live performance. Their performance Sunday night went way beyond good in entertainment and artistic value in telling a story less compelling than those of the sweet, adorable seamstress Mimi, the good girl Tosca who is a little excitable, and the naïve, trapped, and abused Cio Cio San. Manon is a young woman, still in her teens, torn between love of her young suitor des Grieux and her love of the nicer things in life, like a well-appointed apartment and an excess of gold and jewels. It’s a good story that turns sad but lacks the taught storytelling and the emotional impact of the other three; it would have been better, I think, if presented as a comedy with a happy ending, dropping the last act. Still, for an excellent night out at the opera, I found Manon Lescaut to be a winner. In fact, I now want to see a fully staged performance.
Corinne Winters as Manon and Joshua Gerrero as des Grieux backed by the Conductor Antony Walker with the Washington Concert Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Photo by Daniel Schwartz; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.
This was Puccini’s third opera and his first success; it is the one where he is credited with finding his own voice. Overshadowed by Puccini’s blockbusters, it is performed less often, which fits perfectly with WCO’s mission to present lesser-known works with substantial musical value. The decision to compose an opera based on the eponymous book by Antoine François Frémont was certainly his alone. His sponsor and advocate Giulio Ricordi challenged his desire to make an opera from this story since Jules Massenet’s Manon, nine years earlier, had been a great success. Puccini himself had eloped with a married woman, a student of his; perhaps the issues of love and desire versus station in life were fresh in his mind. Certainly, Puccini knew what he wanted to do, and the response from Italian audiences proved that he knew what he was doing. That said, his librettists did not. He went through five before arriving at the libretto that survived the editing. The WCO program booklet credits the libretto to Luigi Illica, Marco Praga, and Domenico Oliva. It is reported that Mr. Illica did not allow his name on the original listing. Modesty? Or, did Illica not want his name on something not up to his standards? Regardless, I think that changed after its success. He and Giuseppe Giacosa became his librettists for La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly. If they had penned this one, it might have had a better storyline, but probably not a comedy since this effort reportedly represented a shift by Puccini in the direction of the popular style of the day, Italian verismo opera. Verismo is rarely happy verismo.
Joshua Guerrero as Grieux, Corinne Winter as Manon, and Maestro Antony Walker. Photo by Daniel Schwartz; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.
So, what’s going on in this opera? Warning: spoilers ahead. The opera jumps around a lot and covers a lot of emotional territory. Des Grieux is hanging out with a partying group of college students outside the gates of Paris in the early 1800s. Manon, in her late teens, arrives with her pragmatic older brother Lescaut to enter Paris. His conversation with an older gentleman, Geronte, sets in motion a plan by the two to have Geronte abscond with Manon to save her from her family’s intent to send her to a nunnery when she is eighteen. Grieux is immediately smitten with Manon and upon learning of her assigned fate convinces her to run away with him. In Act II we learn, when Grieux’s money ran out, and she has left him for Geronte and the life he could provide. Soon, she becomes bored with Geronte. Lescaut, who only wanted Geronte to show a “fatherly” interest, takes des Grieux in tutelage to learn to become wealthy and reunites him with Manon. She implores him to take her back and he does. Their plan is foiled by Geronte who has her arrested for theft and prostitution, and she is sentenced to the horrible fate of being deported to the new world (as an American I can only say “Ouch!”). In Act III, a plot to rescue her fails and Grieux convinces the ship’s captain to let him go along. In Act IV, the couple is stranded on a “desolate desert near New Orleans” (as an American I can only say “Huh?”); WCO smartly changed the locale to a swamp outside New Orleans to not break the mood with laughter. Exhausted from her many travails, Manon dies in his arms, and Grieux is distraught. In the telling, some important details get only briefly mentioned, such as why Manon is headed for a nunnery and what the charges are that get her deported, so pay attention. I remember a congressman who used to tell those testifying before his committee, “You have a good story to tell; tell it well.” Illica understood. Still, the theme is a good one. Think of the news reports today that young women are increasingly choosing young men who have significant incomes and bank accounts, ah…romanticism versus the facts of life. I think Rossini or Donizetti could have made a great comedy from the story, or maybe Strauss.
Gene Galvin as Geronte and Levi Hernandez as Lescaut. Photo by Daniel Schwartz; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.
Concert opera has some strong advantages, Washington Concert Opera performances are typically among my favorite operas of the season. The singers can concentrate on singing, and in WCO’s case, you get to see and hear a full orchestra on stage with the singers in front. You also get to watch Maestro Antony Walker guiding the orchestra through the opera, sometimes smooth flowing motions and sometimes jumping up and down, much fun and a great sound. Also, we don’t have to deal with stage directors changing things up in ways we might not like. The Met Opera’s productions in 2015 and 2016 featured an outstanding cast with sopranos Kristine Opolais and Anna Netrebko sharing the starring role but was roundly criticized for shifting the action to WWII. Also in WCO’s case, we get to hear some of the leading singers of the day, like soprano Corinne Winters in this case, who will among other starring roles worldwide, play Mimi at the Met next May.
Joshua Guerrero as Grieux and Andrew Bidlack as Esmondo. Photo by Daniel Schwartz; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.
This Manon Lescaut indeed had a stellar cast. Ms. Winters who has played starring roles in over 30 top opera houses around the world hails from Frederick, Maryland, obtained degrees from Towson University and the Peabody Conservatory; about a dozen years ago she performed locally with Washington National Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, and Virginia Opera. This was her debut in the role of Manon, and her youthful appearance adds to her appeal in the role. She has a powerful instrument and sang beautifully with the confidence and assurance that an accomplished soprano would, interrupted for applause on several occasions. It was a compelling dramatic performance. I am curious if she sings the role in a staged performance, interacting more with Grieux, whether the color and emotional nuance in her voice might come even more to the fore. Highly regarded tenor Joshua Gerrero has a beautiful, polished tenor voice and sang with emotion as des Grieux. His singing of the famous aria “Donna non vidi mai“ was well done but did not garner the audience response one might expect; he was rewarded with applause on later occasions. The duets and interplay between the two leads were especially enjoyable, high powered entertainment.
The supporting cast, also accomplished, was a special delight. Baritone Levi Hernandez as Lescaut gave us a concerned brother wanting to help his sister but choosing questionable methods. He has a warm, engaging baritone voice that added depth to the role. Tenor Andrew Bidlack, who played Grieux’s friend and enabler Esmondo, has a pretty tenor voice and brightened every scene he was in. Bass-baritone Gene Galvin was a believable, indulgent Geronte who flashes anger and seeks revenge when spurned by Manon.
Corinne Winter as Manon and Joshua Guerrero as Grieux. Photo by Daniel Schwartz; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera.
A highlight of this and every performance of Washington Concert Opera is the opera’s music played by the WCO Orchestra led by WCO’s Conductor and Artistic Director Antony Walker. Puccini’s music for this opera is enjoyable Puccini, spirited and lively at times, lush and melodramatic at times, and heart-rendering in more dramatic moments; it’s all delivered beautifully in support of the vocals and in interludes such as an intermezzo after Act III. Act III was probably the most enjoyble. It was a treat to hear opera music played at this level, diversity, and force. Another appealing feature of WCO performances is the full WCO Chorus led expertly by Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master David Hanlon. Puccini makes full use of the chorus in Manon Lescaut for background/mood vocals and engagement as crowds involved in the action. Kudos to WCO’s Chorus and Chorus Master for a fine effort.
I found this performance by WCO to be less emotionally impactful than most WCO performances. This is in part due to the nature of storytelling in opera. Seeing the interactions and the unspoken communication in a staged performance might be critical for fully conveying the emotion in this somewhat fractured story. That said, this was an excellent performance that I greatly enjoyed. As concert opera often does, it makes me look forward to seeing a fully staged production. Heck, I even want to see Massenet’s Manon now! Attending opera is a constant voyage of discovery.
The Fan Experience: As is their usual practice, Washington Concert Opera scheduled only one performance of Manon Lescaut, November 24. The opera was sung in Italian with supertitles in English shown overhead. The performance lasted two hours and thirty minutes with one twenty-minute intermission.
WCO has scheduled two more productions this season, Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito on March 1 (note – a Saturday performance), and Verdi’s Luisa Miller on April 13 (note - back to the usual Sunday performance).
Peter Russell, General Director of Vocal Arts DC, presented a pre-opera talk and provided program notes. His talks are impressively detailed and informative.
In my experience, all the seats in Lisner Auditorium are fine for viewing the performance, but the sound is probably better towards the center of the auditorium. The seats in Lisner Auditorium were upgraded over the summer, more legroom for the orchestra section and more comfort for all. However, the side terrace seats continue to have very limited legroom. Parking on the street around the auditorium is catch as catch can; be sure to read the signs! Metro is two blocks away. WCO has a visitor web page with directions and parking info, helpful in finding nearby parking lots.