At the Met, soprano goes out on a limb
The Metropolitan Opera’s new “Manon” gives Anna Netrebko plenty of opportunities to wrap her rich, robust soprano around Jules Massenet’s romantic music. Thanks to French director Laurent Pelly’s sexed-up production, the Russian diva also gets a few chances to wind her legs around Piotr Beczala, the Polish tenor who co-stars as her trueblue Chevalier des Grieux.
When he sang of Manon’s smile, noting that it bloomed like flowers, Netrebko’s limbs crept like vines. Eventually, they clamped around him like Ace bandages.
Later, her thighs made cameo appearances when the pleasure-mad Manon reconciles with him after ditching him for richer men.
The moment occurs on a crooked cot in a church, where des Grieux is set to become a priest. Quicker than you can say “Thorn Birds,” she rips open his robe to expose his chest.
Subtle, Manon is not.
Either is this vision’s design. One can’t help but notice leaning pillars (are we in Paris or Pisa?) and enough ramps for a skateboard tourney, presumably a nod to Manon’s lessthan-upright lifestyle.
Pelly’s production, which Netrebko headlined two years ago at London’s Royal Opera House, marks her second star turn this season at the Met. In September, she wowed in “Anna Bolena.”
She did more of that last Monday at the “Manon” premiere.
The heroine is a hot mess of jailbait who bypasses the nunnery to become an insatiable and doomed love machine.
Save for a few strained moments, Netrebko sang with beauty and clarity.
Beczala was her match and more with his superb singing, good looks and convincing portrait of a man besotted.
Fine support came from Brazilian baritone Paolo Szot (“South Pacific”). His handsome presence and vocals served him well as Manon’s shady cousin, Lescaut.
American bass-baritone David Pittsinger made a big impression in the small role of des Grieux’s dad. Ditto AnneCarolyn Byrd, Jennifer Black and Ginger Costa-jackson, who played a trio of trilling gossip girls.
At times, the nearly fourhour evening moved slowly. But under the baton of Fabio Luisi, the Met orchestra sounded characteristically lush. “Manon” runs through April 23 at the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center. Saturday, it will be broadcast live Netrebko & in HD. See MetBeczala in operafamily.org “Manon” for details.