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National Theatre Prague

Regia

Regia (+1)

Sláva Daubnerová

Scenografia

Juraj Kuchárek

Costumi

Tereza Kopecká

Luci

Luci (+2)

Daniel Tesař

Drammaturgo

Jitka Slavíková

Orchestra

Ópera Checa de Praga

Coreografia

Coreografia (+2)

Jan Adam

Státní Opera Praha (The State Opera)

Soprano (+1)

Ghiulnara Raileanu

Manon Lescaut

Petra Šimková Alvarez

Baritono (+3)

Lukáš Bařák

Lescaut

Csaba Kotlár

Tenore

Peter Berger

The knight René Des Grieux

Tenore (+1)

Milen Bozhkov

Basso (+3)

Jiří Sulženko

Geronte de Revoir

Basso-baritono (+3)

František Zahradníček

Tenore (+2)

Martin Šrejma

Edmond

Tenore (+4)

Daniel Matoušek

Ivo Hrachovec

Sergeant of the Archers

Roman Vocel

An innkeeper

Josef Moravec

A lamplighter

Vít Šantora

The dance master

Mezzosoprano (+4)

Michaela Zajmi

A singer

Mezzosoprano (+3)

Kateřina Jalovcová

Chorus

State Opera Chorus

Ballet

National Theatre Narodni Opera Ballet

Direzione del coro

Adolf Melichar

Maestro ripassatore

Pianista (+3)

Silvia Magagni

Assistente del direttore d'orchestra

Direttore d'orchestra (+1)

Maria Fuller

Direzione del coro (+1)

Anna Novotná-Pešková

Zuzana Kadlčíková

Assistente alla regia

Marie Anna Valíčková

Direttore d'orchestra

Direttore d'orchestra (+3)

Simone Di Felice

Basso (+2)

Oleg Korotkov

The naval captain

A life with the wealthy Geronte would offer the pretty Manon luxury, yet it would be devoid of passion. And great passion is what Manon enjoys with the poverty-stricken Chevalier Renato des Grieux. She must make a choice. Failing to do so is fateful for her …

The 1893 opera Manon Lescaut was Giacomo Puccini’s first triumph. Abounding in splendid melodies, the music renders intense emotions, from fervid love in the duet between Des Grieux and Manon in Act 2 to crushing despair of the lonesome Manon in the aria “Sola, perduta, abbandonata”.

The libretto is based on Abbé Prévost’s novel Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux, et de Manon Lescaut, issued in 1731 in Paris. Puccini was mesmerised by the book, yet his publisher, Ricordi, tried to dissuade him from setting it, pointing out that the story had already been adapted as an opera, Jules Massenet’s wildly popular Manon. Puccini, however, stuck to his guns, reasoning that “a woman like Manon can have more than one lover”.

Despite its difficult gestation (the text was patched together by five librettists), he created an opera whose premiere, on 1 February 1893 in Turin, enraptured the audience and critics alike. Puccini’s Manon Lescaut received its first performance in Bohemia on 24 April 1894 at the National Theatre in Prague. The Neues deutsches Theater (today’s State Opera) followed suit on 1 November 1923, with the production conducted by Alexander Zemlinsky, who at the time served as director of its opera company.

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