Hers is slender and nimble where his is heavier and grainier in sound.
In other performances of the opera, it can be easy to overlook Lescaut in the context of the two main lovers, but the Polish singer made his presence not only known, but truly felt.
Benini, a bel canto specialist, approached the score as if it were an early Verdi or Donizetti opera, full of muscularity and bravado, but lacking in delicacy.The brass and percussion was always at the forefront of every orchestral forte, no matter what the emotion of the scene. by Review Roundups Sep. 26, 2019 Manon just opened at the renown Met Opera and we have a reviews for you! With him by her side, she ripped his shirt open as the two savored on a high B flat that rang over the orchestra.The power of her voice was arguably best represented in the concertato at the end of Act four where she was prominently audible over the massive ensemble and the final Act with its frequent vocal outbursts.
Prior to Manon’s arrival, a group of women are put on full display downstage to not only the men, but the audience; Pelly essentially imposes the effect male gaze on the audience in the most direct manner. But hear also how she shrinks her sound to a stark mournfulness in “Adieu, notre petite table,” pained yet chilly as she prepares to leave des Grieux for another man’s luxury.Her des Grieux on Tuesday was the tenor Michael Fabiano, who often achieves penetrating resonance at the cost of intonation and gracefulness. L’avenir nous sépare” was full of impassioned desperation, the tenor throwing caution to the winds and letting every ounce of pain spring forth from his vocal expression. On the whole, Oropesa’s voice is a crystalline gem with a wide range of color and expressive resources that she used to bring this challenging role to life.Not to be overlooked, however, was Michael Fabiano as Des Grieux. This was most noticeable in Manon’s solo right before the Act three, scene two duet with Des Grieux; there were times in “Ah fuyez” where Benini seemed to be pushing tenor Michael Fabiano to move faster as well. Perhaps the most noticeable of these moments was the Act two quartet between Manon, Des Grieux, Lescaut, and De Brétigny. Not only did he create a complex portrayal of Lescaut as well-meaning but irresponsible figure to Manon, but he delivered an elegant vocal performance that hopefully will lead to more prominent roles at the Met (“Eugene Onegin” anyone?). And with top notch performers in the leading roles, the performance on Sept. 24, 2019, allowed this vision to rise to the top.Back in 1975 Laura Mulvey developed the feminist theory of the “Male Gaze” which purports that works of art are expressed to appeal to the perspective of the heterosexual male. Puccini might have hinted at the superficiality of “Powder and Minuets,” but “Manon” is nothing if not a lush romantic score full of nuance and energy that requires a conductor who can bring both. In this sense, the opening notes of the opera and its final coda had the same orchestral texture and sound; one might argue that the joyful and parade-like moments in the score, such as the opening and Cours de la Reine, could benefit from an Italianate approach, but the dramatic explosions in the opera benefit from a less banda-like sound and more balancing between strings and winds, with the former adding aural tension and core to the sound.Balance with the solo ensembles thus proved a bit sloppy as well. Some of the choreographed movements for the main actors, particularly during the Act one Manon-Des Grieux scene, seemed a bit forced and unmotivated; why do they hold themselves up against the far wall and then run to the front of the stage again? Unsurprisingly (especially in today’s world), the man who overpowers her is the one who does so because he could never have her – Guillot. His lecherous, snake-like behavior toward Manon was both pathetic and frightening, playing him up as a man so fed up with rejection that he resorts to the biggest weapon he has – power and money.Kwangchul Youn also delivered a robust and authoritative interpretation of the Comte des Grieux, his bass booming in the opening lines of the concertato.But if anyone deserves special mention, it is baritone Artur Rucinski as Lescaut.
As the opera continues — with Massenet’s effervescent and eclectic score, eager to please and utterly pleasing under the baton of Maurizio Benini — Ms. Oropesa’s musicality becomes even more layered.It can be easy to play Manon as a ruthless femme fatale, for example, as she becomes the toast of Paris, and Ms. Oropesa was suddenly big-voiced, glamorously tossing off high notes with insouciant sprezzatura.
By the time his voice was fully warmed up for his Act three “Choisir! Oropesa slips into the title role as if it were custom couture. And she manages this all the way through the fourth act until male power is used to destroy her. To them, women are interchangeable playthings — even Manon. In her first aria, “Je suis encore tout étourdie,” sung with enunciation so clear it could be transcribed, she has an innocent lightness that gives way to intoxicating joy as it becomes apparent that Manon is already too grand for her humble packaging at the start: slight frame; childish hat and ponytail; plain outfit in muted blues. The singers and the orchestra all seemed to be on their own throughout the passage and Benini’s decision to pump up the volume on the orchestra made the moment sound unbalanced and messy.It didn’t help that Benini’s tempi were also on the fast side.