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Amazon.co.uk Review
Thomas Beecham once stated that he would "happily give up all the Brandenburg Concertos for Manon". He might also have thrown in a couple of Beethoven symphonies and the late Mozart operas if he had heard what Angela Gheorghiu makes of the title role. She's stunning. If you want a Manon who is transparently charming from the first note, whose venal flaws are presented with honesty and insight, whose final self-recrimination is heart-breaking, then Gheorghiu is your woman. And when the dramatic portrayal is underpinned with that technique--the pianissimo top notes, the exquisite phrasing, the powerful lower register, the glorious full, rounded sound--it's impossible not to be drawn into this wonderful reading. Her husband Roberto Alagna, if he doesn't quite have her silken tone, is still an excellent partner and gives a real sense of des Grieux's early callowness being transformed by suffering into emotional maturity. Pappano draws some lush playing from the band, and sensibly avoids treating the 18th-century imitations as frivolous pastiche. It's almost possible to believe from the lightness of the early comic scenes that the ending will be a happy one, such is the integrity of his approach--and it makes the terrible close all the more harrowing. --Warwick Thompson
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The husband and wife team of Gheorghiu and Alagna seem intent on conquering the operatic world and, with Antonio Pappano as their ally, might well proceed to do so. Pappano has already announced that, following collaboration on projects like "La Rondine" (an absolute highlight in recording history) and "Werther", not to mention this recording, their next project together will be a "Tosca". What can one say? "Interesting"?
"Manon" is Massenet's most popular opera. It is well-represented on disc, despite the seemingly fiendish demands it places on its performers. I particularly remember a recording coupling Beverly Sills and Alfredo Kraus on EMI, which won the Grand Prix du Disque, as well it deserved to. Sadly, the Alagnas are not in the same league.
Gheorghiu sings beautifully and is particularly disarming in the first act, where she lightens her tone to portray the young heroine. She brings some lovely insights to bear in the second act, which includes her most famous aria "Adieu, notre petite table", predictably a highlight of her performance. Her first appearance in act three, before the "Gavotte", is very promising, as she plays the Society Animal with some abandon, but the "Gavotte" itself suffers from inadequate coloratura technique and some very suspect forays into the top of the voice. The final act is pure "Boheme" - not particularly memorable, given that she does it so much better within the context of Puccini's work.
Alagna is becoming a real bugbear in my life. His singing is harsh and unmusical, often very slack in intonation and far too peppered with mannerisms. Once again, he might as well be singing any role here - there is precious little differentiation in tone and the character is Alagna, nobody else. Thanks to Gheorghiu some of their duets come off nicely, but in general I have to resist the urge to put the kettle on when he starts singing. I cannot help but feel that Gheorghiu would be far better off with another singing partner, who shares her musical insight, and at the same time I fear that some of his crassness is already rubbing off on her performances.
Jose van Dam and Earle Patriarco equip themselves very well in their roles as Le Comte des Grieux and Lescaut respectively. There is an odd sense of freedom in the recording when the characters other than Manon and Des Grieux (the Chevalier, that is) are singing. Pappano has his Brussels forces well in loving hands and gets a wonderful ensemble performance from them. If there is any reason to buy this recording, it would be for the conductor and the supporting cast, rather than the principal couple. For that, I would gladly go back to Sills and Kraus, certain highlights from Gheorghiu not withstanding.
Format:Audio CD
A wonderfully paced performance thanks to Pappano, spoilt only by the coarse singing of Alagna. While his French comes across very clearly, his extroverted throaty manner does little to endear one to the emotional anguish of the character. He does not convey any of the introspection necessary to make the character's internal conflict believable. His ringing tenor seems more suitable to the likes of Early Verdi operas than it does to the melting vocal lines of Massenet! Gheorghiu fares much better even if she is hardly girlish sounding or for that matter, very French sounding. The supporting cast is very good and the recording is decent.
6 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a first class recording.Alagna is the best tenor of our days and there is nothig to be said more.No one coud sing better than he.Gheorghiu sings all high notes with sweetness and capebility.It is as you are looking to the movie not just listening.She is an actress more than singer in this role.
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