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Giacomo Puccini - Manon Lescaut / Robert Carsen · Silvio Varviso · Miriam Gauci · Flemish Opera |
List Price: $29.99
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Reviews |
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Description:
Puccini's beloved heroine has had many starry interpreters, but in this 1991 Flemish Opera performance, soprano Miriam Gauci gives a head-turning portrayal. Her acting and singing coalesce into that rarest of occurrences, especially in opera: a believable characterization summoning sympathy from the viewer for Manon's tragic demise and pleasure at witnessing the tremendous range of Gauci's talent. The soprano's outsized stage presence overshadows the entirely capable Des Grieux (Manon's lover) of Antonio Ordonez. Robert Carsen's production is much too busy, and some questionable stage antics seem better suited to Gilbert & Sullivan than Manon Lescaut. But the Symphony Orchestra and Choir of the Flemish Opera (with Silvio Varviso conducting) acquit themselves well in one of opera's most familiar warhorses. If you're new to opera, other productions better convey the essence of Puccini's classic tragedy. But if you're looking for a different kind of Manon Lescaut, then Gauci's fresh, winning take on her is definitely worth checking out. --Kevin Filipski
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