50th Season
2005–2006
Manon Lescaut
Music by Giacomo Puccini
after Abbé Prévost’s Histoire de Manon Lescaut
Music by Giacomo Puccini
after Abbé Prévost’s Histoire de Manon Lescaut
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50th Season 2005–2006 |
Manon Lescaut Music by Giacomo Puccini after Abbé Prévost’s Histoire de Manon Lescaut |
Act I: Amiens Town Square A Saturday evening in June, 1770
A crowd gathers in the square for an evening of relaxation; some await the arrival of a coach from the south. Among the crowd is a group of students waiting for girls to join them for an evening of carousing. Des Grieux, another student, arrives, but does not join the others who them tease him about being morose; they suspect that he has been rejected in love. To prove them wrong he makes a point of flirting with some of the girls. At last the coach arrives. Its passengers include the young Manon Lescaut, her brother, Sergeant Lescaut, and the Treasurer-General Geronte di Ravoir. The moment he sees her, Des Grieux is enchanted with Manon and when her brother enters the inn, he approaches her. She promises to meet him later. Lescaut reappears with Geronte, who has also been captivated by Manon and who declares that she will only be wasted in the convent, to which her father is sending her. While Lescaut is engaged at cards, Geronte makes secret plans with the host of the Inn to carry her off, but Edmondo, Des Grieux’s friend, overhears and suggests to Des Grieux that he use the old roué’s coach to take Manon himself. When Manon reappears he professes his love for her and persuades her to elope.
Act II: Apartment
Manon is installed in Geronte’s house in Paris as his mistress, having left Des Grieux when his money gave out. Prodded by Lescaut, she confesses that Geronte bores her and that she longs to return to her romantic life with Des Grieux; Singers, hired by Geronte, enter to amuse her. Geronte brings a dancing master who gives Manon a minuet lesson. The men leave to stroll along the boulevards, and Manon promises to join them, but Des Grieux, secretly prompted by Lescaut, arrives. After bitter recriminations, Manon and Des Grieux reconcile and passionately redeclare their love. Geronte discovers them and threatens them before going off to summon the police. Lescaut arrives and warns them that Geronte has denounced Manon and that the police are on their way. Manon, caught between her greed and her love, wastes time gathering up her jewels, and before they can escape, the police arrive and arrest her.
Act III: Le Havre Square
Manon is in prison near the harbor in Le Havre awaiting deportation to America. At dawn, Lescaut and Des Grieux linger near by. Lescaut has bribed a sentry in a bid to free his sister, but his plot fails. Soldiers arrive and escort Manon and other women arrested for prostitution aboard ship. In despair, Des Grieux begs the captain to take him as his cabin boy. The captain takes pity on him and he joins Manon in sailing to America.
Act IV: Desolate Plain
After Des Grieux gets in a duel over Manon, the two of them flee New Orleans on foot to try to get to a British settlement. Half-dead with fatigue from the heat, they can find no shelter. Des Grieux is alarmed by Manon’s appearance and at her insistence goes to look for water. Manon laments her fate. Des Grieux returns empty-handed to find her semi-conscious. He tries to revive her, but she is beyond help and dies in his arms.
