Manon, 1957, Plus a Surprise
https://www.reddit.com/r/OldOpera/comments/1qdawqn/manon_1957_plus_a_surprise/

After giving up on the idea entirely, I finally found Manon in Italian! It wasn't listed on Wikipedia, and no one whom I know personally mentioned this version. It was, to be honest, something I learned from Perplexity, of all places. I thought it was halucinating when it mentioned a Manon with Tagliavini, so, just for fun, I decided to search for it on Youtube, and sure enough, it was there!

Libretto
https://www.opera-arias.com/massenet/manon/libretto/english/

Wikipedia (mentioned later)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manon

Recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlobCo2svMA

I normally avoid this site, since their translations usually sound modern and annoying. But this one was excellent, and as with all pages from here, it was completely free of ocr eras, since it was just normal html. The story was wonderful, and is just the sort of thing I love with the upper class, pleasure, love and loss, jealousy, etc. with no violence or gritty realism. The ending was sad, though. There was nothing to indicate the death of Manon in the libretto itself, and I only knew of it due to the description on Wikipedia. Likewise, I was confused as to why Guillot brought the police in act IV. I thought, perhaps, it was because gambling was illegal or because he thought Des Grieux stole from him or cheated. But that still didn't explain the soldiers with Manon. Then, I read it was because she was "Convicted as a woman of ill-fame". This is one of those cases where a little synopsis or some notes in the libretto would have helped.

This time, the music more than matched the story. It was absolutely wonderful, and at no time did I feel bored or as if it were dragging. Tagliavini was perfect, as always, and almost brought me to tears twice with his emotional singing. This is one of the best performances I've ever heard from him, and I've herd several. I had only seen the name of Victoria de los Angeles in passing, though I knew nothing about her. I think she sounded too mature for Manon, who is supposed to be very young, though she did sing well and also completely embodied the character, so this can be forgiven. The acting in the last scene was truly beyond compare. It reminded me very much of the death scene of Mimi in La Boheme. Even had I not read about it in Wikipedia, actually listening to it would have told me what was happening.

I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to hear a great opera, full of fun and some sadness. The singing by all involved was excellent and both the story and music were wonderful.

And now, for my fellow lovers of Schipa, here is a heart-breakingly tantalising treat. It's only Act II, but other than Don Pasquale (recorded in full) it's the only other large fragment I know of with him actually performing in an opera. It's also the first time I am really listening to it, and they are singing in french! I knew that Schipa sang in many languages on his recordings, but I had no idea that he performed full operas in anything other than Italian! I also really like Bidu Sayão as Manon. Her voice is both beautiful and perfect for it. All the other singers here are great as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQCNbzKgPfQ

#FerruccioTagliavini #Massenet #Manon #opera #review #TitoSchipa