Puccini: Manon Lescaut
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80% Critic Match

Puccini: Manon Lescaut

8.0 / 10 1980 2h 10mNR Italian
MusicDrama

Storyline

All the throbbing eroticism—and ultimate heartbreak—of Puccini’s youthful score is unleashed by James Levine and his top-flight cast. Plácido Domingo is Des Grieux, the handsome, headstrong young aristocrat who falls head over heels for the enticing, impetuous Manon Lescaut (Renata Scotto). Manon returns his love, but her obsession with luxury ruins them both. Gian Carlo Menotti’s opulent production, with sets and costumes by Desmond Heeley, superbly captures the colorful world of 18th century France.

Cast & Crew

Renata Scotto

Renata Scotto

Manon Lescaut

Lead
Plácido Domingo

Plácido Domingo

Chevalier des Grieux

PE

Pablo Elvira

Lescaut

Renato Capecchi

Renato Capecchi

Geronte

Isola Jones

Isola Jones

A musician

PC

Philip Creech

Edmondo

MB

Mario Bertolino

An innkeeper

AV

Andrea Velis

Dancing master

What People Are Saying

4.0
A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Kirk Browning's vision lands with breathtaking precision.
Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
4.0
Every frame feels alive. Puccini: Manon Lescaut is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker