On Saturday, November 4, 2017, we attended the opening night of Jules Massenet’s Manon, (Lib. Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille)at San Francisco Opera. Here are my comments:
I attended my first Manon in San Diego in 1974, presented in English with the budding star Catherine Malfitano in the title role and Raymond Gibbs as her tormented lover, the Chevalier Des Grieux. That production cut the Cours-la-Reine Scene, but transferred the indispensable “Gavotte” into the penultimate Gambling Scene. Unfortunately, that is the last time San Diego Opera has presented Manon, disappointing San Diego fans of this opera. (Even Puccini’s Manon Lescaut has been presented here only once in 1978. A new production set for 2009 with Patricia Racette was cancelled due to the Great Recession). Several years ago; however, I was fortunate enough to attend the now legendary Los Angeles Opera Manon with a young and beautiful pre-weight-gain Anna Nebtreko in the title role and an ardent Rolando Villazon, still in good voice, as Des Grieux. What a performance that was! You could almost feel steam rising from the stage at the conclusion of the Saint-Sulpice Scene. Therefore, I eagerly anticipated the San Francisco performance.
The Production. I ended up being happy to have attended, even though my heart sank upon reading that the production was directed by Vincent Broussard, the same man responsible for the disastrously weird San Francisco version of Bellini’s The Capulets and the Montagues. (The image of Juliet standing on her sink unfortunately remains in my memory). In the Manon production, among the unique touches of the director, was dressing the cast, chorus and supernumeraries is costumes ranging from the Eighteenth to the Twenty-first Century, although Nineteenth Century attire predominated, in order to give the story more “immediateness.” This never particularly works for me, but at least it did not distract and it sometimes does. I did not like the lack of dancers in the Cours-la-Reine Scene while the orchestra was playing faux Eighteenth Century dance music; however, there were scenes of great power such as the angry chorus practically pushing Des Grieux off the stage in the Gambling Scene. All-in-all the production was colorful and dramatic.
The Singing. When I originally purchased tickets for this opera, incipient superstar Nadine Sierra was announced as Manon. Because I had been astounded by her wonderful performance as the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro at the age of 27, I was excited to see her in this new role. She cancelled; however, stating that her voice was not yet large enough for the part. Ellie Dehn was picked as her replacement. Although I was disappointed, I remembered that she had appeared three times in San Diego, all to good notices, as Mimi in 2010’s La Boheme, as Donna Anna, in the 2015 Don Giovanni, and as Alice Ford in last season’s Falstaff. In addition, Michael Fabiano, who appears to be the primo tenore assoluto of San Francisco Opera remained as Des Grieux. Ellie Dehn does not appear to be a Manon for the ages, but she performed well, singing with considerable passion, and knocking out the high notes with aplomb. Michael Fabiano, on the other hand, was a tremendous Des Grieux, dominating the scenes in which he was present with singing that was both supple and powerful. He was not afraid to use head voice when needed such as in his moving Second Act “La Rêve.” He nearly brought me to tears in the final scene with his repetition of Manon’s Saint-Sulpice seduction aria. It was the director’s fault, and not his, when his chest-baring in the Saint-Sulpice Scene induced audience laughter. Among the smaller roles, bass Robert Cresswell stood out as Des Grieux’s father, the Comte des Grieux, both with his rolling bass voice and moving performance. The chorus was powerful and the orchestra played well under the direction of conductor Patrick Fournillier.
Comments Overheard Following the Performance. Man walking out-“that was long..long.” [it was 3.5 hours including two intermissions.] The next morning, overheard at breakfast at our hotel, “we loved the music, but it was a stupid plot. The two of them could not figure out what they wanted from the relationship.” [I guess that never occurs in real life].
Comments