A “Bad Boy”: Anyone want to marry him?”
Giacomo Puccini always seemed to be in trouble! He worried his mother nearly to death. It took him 5 years to complete the usual 4-year elementary school studies. One of his music teachers wrote that he was “…a scamp, lazy, disrespectful, and untalented.” At age 14 he earned money by playing the piano in taverns and the organ at church on Sundays. Once when he needed money, he stole some of the organ pipes and sold them—and then played around the missing pipes, so that no one would know what he did.
At age 27 he fell in love with Elvira, a married woman. It was a stormy relationship. He was far from a model ‘husband’ or provider. Elvira went on hunger strikes and often physically attacked him. Over the years he had countless affairs. They had to move frequently because he always fell behind in paying the rent. In 1903 he had two serious auto accidents from driving too fast. After Elvira’s legal husband died, she insisted Puccini marry her. About that time he took up with a woman known only as Corinna; Elvira went into another rage and attacked Corinna. They all ended up in court and part of the settlement agreement was that he had to marry Elvira. In 1904 he married Elvira—when their son was 17 years old. However, marriage didn’t seem to change his philandering ways. He died of throat cancer—the result of years of heavy smoking.
A “bad boy” he may have been, but he certainly knew how to translate all those passionate emotions to musical scores. He wrote some of the world’s most famous and beautiful operas. La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire. Some of his arias, such as "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi and "Nessun dorma" from Turandot, have become part of popular culture.
On the opening night of Manon Lescaut in 1893, he took 30 curtain calls as shouts of Bravo! Bravissimo! rang through the theatre. In 1907 Enrico Caruso sang the role of Des Grieux when the Metropolitan Opera introduced the work to Americans.
Two Versions of the Same Story
Jules Massenet was at the peak of his career and wrote a famous operatic version of Manon when Giacomo Puccini (who wrote this month’s OCP opera) was bold enough to compose an opera based on the same story. Massenet’s beloved Manon was composed 11 years before Puccini’s Manon Lescaut. Puccini had written two operas (Le Villi and Edgar) by this time; neither was very successful. Many viewed him as an arrogant upstart with no track record to ‘challenge’ a composer who had written 15 operas.
The endings of both operas are tragic as Manon dies in the arms of Des Grieux. Puccini has her death take place in Louisana, USA. Massenet has her perish just as she’s about to enter the boat to be deported.
There’s an additional difference about the music that depicts Manon’s death. Massenet’s final love duet during the heroine’s last minutes portrays a woman so in love that even her imminent death can’t darken her sky. She’s so in love and happy that the orchestra just soars in pleasant tones. Puccini’s Manon, on the other hand, is depressed, overcome with sorrow and remorse. It is very dramatic and full of intense emotions. The orchestra swells to match her emotions and heighten the drama of the final scene.
Why is she to be deported to Louisiana—of all places? France had been in a financial state of shambles. Mr. John Law was brought from Scotland to serve as the Comptroller General. He introduced a number of radical reforms, among which was the formation of the Mississippi Company as a large money-making plan ("The Mississippi Bubble") to grow tobacco and coffee in Louisiana. An important part of the plan was to urge French citizens to emigrate there to do the work. When that didn’t happen, he ordered criminals and prostitutes to be deported there with the plan that they would do the work. After the boat captain gives Des Grieu permission to join Manon on the boat, in Puccini’s story the captain says, “Ah! So you want to populate America, do you, young man? Well then – so be it!”
If you want to hear Massenet's version of the opera, you'll get your chance this weekend. Read full details in the Opera on the Air section below.
Video Clips of the Week
This week we’ll see a performance of one of Des Grieux’s Act III arias.
Act III “No! Pazzo son Guardate”
This aria occurs as the women are boarding the boat to be deported to Louisana. Des Grieux pleads with the captain to let him join Manon on the boat: “No! I am crazy! Look at me! I weep…I implore you…I plead…Take me on as a cabin boy…I beg for compassion.” And the captain responds, “So be it. Come on, cabin boy, look lively!” With that, Des Grieux and Manon embrace as they board the ship that will carry them to her death.
The pleading of Des Grieux to join Manon is passionately and beautifully sung by Italian tenor Fabio Armiliato. They dropped the curtain twice—but the audience wouldn’t stop its applause!
Web Site of the Week
Troy Cook
"Mr. Cook is not new to the Philadelphia opera scene. He sang the lead male role as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly to open the 2009-10 season.
Troy Cook startles—and delights—shoppers in Reading Terminal!
In 2010 the Opera Company of Philadelphia surprised Reading Terminal shoppers with a Random Act of Culture. Mr. Cook initiates the famous Toreador Song from Carmen and is joined by others (including Daniel Mobbs, the second singer in the clip, who stars as Geronte in our opera) to the delight of the shoppers.
You can also see Mr. Cook singing two famous baritone arias: one from Faust, the other from The Barber of Seville!
Behind the Scenes at OCP
Bet you’ve not explored this part of the Opera Company’s website. It’s really quite interesting and informative.
FREE MANON LESCAUT PREVIEW EVENT
If you're available on Sunday, April 15th, please join us for A Taste of Opera, a free preview recital held at Old Pine Street Church, 401 Pine Street, in Philadelphia. Soprano Evelyn Santiago, tenor Cody Austin (who stars in our production as Edmondo), and collaborative pianist Rebecca Mordo will perform selections from the opera. Registrations are required for this event. You can RSVP at this online form.
OPERA ON THE AIR
Massenet’s Manon
This week, Anna Netrebko portrays the tragic heroine in Jules Massenet’s version of Manon. This is what many call the story’s “French version”, compared to Puccini’s “Italian version”. It is broadcast on WRTI-FM. You can listen to it online or on the radio at 90.1FM beginning Saturday, April 7th at 12:00. The Met’s Live in HD performance of Manon can be seen on Saturday, April 7th for $24 in 8 area theaters. Worth every penny! Here are the area locations:
It’s sung in French and the cast includes:
Manon: Russian soprano Anna Netrebko
des Grieux: Polish tenor Piotr Beczala
Lescaut: Brazillian-Polish baritone Paulo Szot
Comte des Grieux: American bass-baritone David Pittsinger (who frequently performs with OCP!)
JOIN OPERA-ONLINE!
Thanks, as always, for visiting the blog. Please don’t forget to encourage your friends or students to join this list so that they can have free opera clips delivered into their email box every week. All they need to do is email their first name, school, and email address to education@operaphila.org and they’ll be added to the list!
Until next week…
Giacomo Puccini always seemed to be in trouble! He worried his mother nearly to death. It took him 5 years to complete the usual 4-year elementary school studies. One of his music teachers wrote that he was “…a scamp, lazy, disrespectful, and untalented.” At age 14 he earned money by playing the piano in taverns and the organ at church on Sundays. Once when he needed money, he stole some of the organ pipes and sold them—and then played around the missing pipes, so that no one would know what he did.At age 27 he fell in love with Elvira, a married woman. It was a stormy relationship. He was far from a model ‘husband’ or provider. Elvira went on hunger strikes and often physically attacked him. Over the years he had countless affairs. They had to move frequently because he always fell behind in paying the rent. In 1903 he had two serious auto accidents from driving too fast. After Elvira’s legal husband died, she insisted Puccini marry her. About that time he took up with a woman known only as Corinna; Elvira went into another rage and attacked Corinna. They all ended up in court and part of the settlement agreement was that he had to marry Elvira. In 1904 he married Elvira—when their son was 17 years old. However, marriage didn’t seem to change his philandering ways. He died of throat cancer—the result of years of heavy smoking.
A “bad boy” he may have been, but he certainly knew how to translate all those passionate emotions to musical scores. He wrote some of the world’s most famous and beautiful operas. La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire. Some of his arias, such as "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi and "Nessun dorma" from Turandot, have become part of popular culture.
On the opening night of Manon Lescaut in 1893, he took 30 curtain calls as shouts of Bravo! Bravissimo! rang through the theatre. In 1907 Enrico Caruso sang the role of Des Grieux when the Metropolitan Opera introduced the work to Americans.
Two Versions of the Same Story
Jules Massenet was at the peak of his career and wrote a famous operatic version of Manon when Giacomo Puccini (who wrote this month’s OCP opera) was bold enough to compose an opera based on the same story. Massenet’s beloved Manon was composed 11 years before Puccini’s Manon Lescaut. Puccini had written two operas (Le Villi and Edgar) by this time; neither was very successful. Many viewed him as an arrogant upstart with no track record to ‘challenge’ a composer who had written 15 operas.
The endings of both operas are tragic as Manon dies in the arms of Des Grieux. Puccini has her death take place in Louisana, USA. Massenet has her perish just as she’s about to enter the boat to be deported.
There’s an additional difference about the music that depicts Manon’s death. Massenet’s final love duet during the heroine’s last minutes portrays a woman so in love that even her imminent death can’t darken her sky. She’s so in love and happy that the orchestra just soars in pleasant tones. Puccini’s Manon, on the other hand, is depressed, overcome with sorrow and remorse. It is very dramatic and full of intense emotions. The orchestra swells to match her emotions and heighten the drama of the final scene.
Why is she to be deported to Louisiana—of all places? France had been in a financial state of shambles. Mr. John Law was brought from Scotland to serve as the Comptroller General. He introduced a number of radical reforms, among which was the formation of the Mississippi Company as a large money-making plan ("The Mississippi Bubble") to grow tobacco and coffee in Louisiana. An important part of the plan was to urge French citizens to emigrate there to do the work. When that didn’t happen, he ordered criminals and prostitutes to be deported there with the plan that they would do the work. After the boat captain gives Des Grieu permission to join Manon on the boat, in Puccini’s story the captain says, “Ah! So you want to populate America, do you, young man? Well then – so be it!”
If you want to hear Massenet's version of the opera, you'll get your chance this weekend. Read full details in the Opera on the Air section below.
Video Clips of the Week
This week we’ll see a performance of one of Des Grieux’s Act III arias.
Act III “No! Pazzo son Guardate”
This aria occurs as the women are boarding the boat to be deported to Louisana. Des Grieux pleads with the captain to let him join Manon on the boat: “No! I am crazy! Look at me! I weep…I implore you…I plead…Take me on as a cabin boy…I beg for compassion.” And the captain responds, “So be it. Come on, cabin boy, look lively!” With that, Des Grieux and Manon embrace as they board the ship that will carry them to her death.
The pleading of Des Grieux to join Manon is passionately and beautifully sung by Italian tenor Fabio Armiliato. They dropped the curtain twice—but the audience wouldn’t stop its applause!
Web Site of the Week
Troy Cook
"Mr. Cook is not new to the Philadelphia opera scene. He sang the lead male role as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly to open the 2009-10 season.Troy Cook startles—and delights—shoppers in Reading Terminal!
In 2010 the Opera Company of Philadelphia surprised Reading Terminal shoppers with a Random Act of Culture. Mr. Cook initiates the famous Toreador Song from Carmen and is joined by others (including Daniel Mobbs, the second singer in the clip, who stars as Geronte in our opera) to the delight of the shoppers.
You can also see Mr. Cook singing two famous baritone arias: one from Faust, the other from The Barber of Seville!
Behind the Scenes at OCP
Bet you’ve not explored this part of the Opera Company’s website. It’s really quite interesting and informative.
- Blog/What’s New: This has a collection of short and informative pieces of background notes, clips, and bios about current and forthcoming productions.
- Photo Gallery: Here’s a collection of interesting photos.
- Podcasts: Each edition features musical excerpts, plot synopses and background information on the operas, cast, production information, and interviews with artists and producers.
- Venue: This contains an interesting history of the Academy of Music, along with a seating chart.
- Artistic Initiatives: Find out more about OCP’s Composer in Residence Program, the American Repertorie Program to produce American operas, Chamber Opera Symposium, and the OCP Production staff that builds the sets.
FREE MANON LESCAUT PREVIEW EVENT
If you're available on Sunday, April 15th, please join us for A Taste of Opera, a free preview recital held at Old Pine Street Church, 401 Pine Street, in Philadelphia. Soprano Evelyn Santiago, tenor Cody Austin (who stars in our production as Edmondo), and collaborative pianist Rebecca Mordo will perform selections from the opera. Registrations are required for this event. You can RSVP at this online form.
OPERA ON THE AIR
Massenet’s Manon
This week, Anna Netrebko portrays the tragic heroine in Jules Massenet’s version of Manon. This is what many call the story’s “French version”, compared to Puccini’s “Italian version”. It is broadcast on WRTI-FM. You can listen to it online or on the radio at 90.1FM beginning Saturday, April 7th at 12:00. The Met’s Live in HD performance of Manon can be seen on Saturday, April 7th for $24 in 8 area theaters. Worth every penny! Here are the area locations:
It’s sung in French and the cast includes:
Manon: Russian soprano Anna Netrebko
des Grieux: Polish tenor Piotr Beczala
Lescaut: Brazillian-Polish baritone Paulo Szot
Comte des Grieux: American bass-baritone David Pittsinger (who frequently performs with OCP!)
JOIN OPERA-ONLINE!
Thanks, as always, for visiting the blog. Please don’t forget to encourage your friends or students to join this list so that they can have free opera clips delivered into their email box every week. All they need to do is email their first name, school, and email address to education@operaphila.org and they’ll be added to the list!
Until next week…
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