Search - Massenet, Gheorghiu, Alagna :: Manon

Where is the libretto?

Benjamin | Chicago, IL USA | 10/01/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"$34 and no libretto? EMI, enough of scaming customers... Librettos should always be provided with operas. I do not appreciate having to go online and downloading a .pfd document. Besides, not everybody who buys opera CDs owns a computer connected online. Finally, I like to listen to my operas in my music room, not seating in front of a computer reading a .pdf document. This is a reissue of an EMI opera for the collection The Opera Series, which means that, instead of sitting around thinking a way to give the best opera experience to opera customers, EMI geniuses figured out a way to make the most money putting the least money on it (no libretto, poor cover design, kiddy-poor quality envelopes for the CDs...). So it is always about them, not about us. And then recording companies complain that they don't sell enough CDs anymore ... With this quality, I am not surprised!

Besides the above, I think this is the best Manon recording available on CD as today in the American market. At least the musicians, the singers, and the director did their job well."