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Rather Quirky
Massenet's 'Manon' at Covent Garden,
reviewed by ROBERT HUGILL
Manon is generally regarded as one of Massenet's masterpieces, but it is an opera which is heavily dependent on the name character and the singer playing her. For the piece to work, the singer needs to capture Manon in all of her multitude of moods and, most importantly, ensure that the audience falls in love with her. I have to confess that I am generally resistant to Manon's sexual charms and that only very rarely do performances capture the opera's essence for me. Laurent Pelly's new production of Manon at Covent Garden (seen 10 July 2010) was an opportunity not only to catch up with this opera again but also to hear Anna Netrebko in the title role.
Pelly was director and co-creator of the costumes (with Jean-Jacques Delmotte), with sets by Chantal Thomas and choreography by Lionel Hoche...
Copyright © 14 July 2010
Robert Hugill,
London UK
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