Manon

The story of Manon Lescaut has become part of the European imagination: she is the fun-loving woman who is irresistible to men. Of Massenets many operas, she inspired the most popular one, and this libretto shows his minute attention to detail in bringing the character and the period to life. This guide opens with a general survey of Massenets career by the musicologist Grard Cond, and includes two essays about this particular opera. Professor Hugh Macdonald explores the interplay of speech and song in Manon and Massenets genius for comedy. Professor Vivienne Mylne traces the sources and context of Prvosts novel. Contents: Massenet, Gerard Conde; A Musical Synopsis, Hugh Macdonald; Prevost and Manon Lescaut, Vivienne Mylne; Manon: Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille; Manon: English version by Edmund Tracey