A thrilling, big-voiced 'Manon'
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 05/28/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Made in 1999, the year after they recorded Werther, Alagna and Gheorghiu were already moving toward big-voice roles. In her case the move was a natural growth. The role of Manon duplicates the range of emotions that Gheorghiu displayed triumphantly in her debut La Traviata, but here she has more solidity and thrust in her voice. An ideal Manon (I think Sills and de los Angeles come closer) should be girlish and sexually alluring in a way that Gheorgiu doesn't naturally possess--her will and strength are always apparent just beneath the surface. But she really is a treasure among contemporary sopranos, as her Manon abundantly displays.
Alagna's move toward big-voice roles hasn't been as smooth. (His "Ah fuyez" here is bawled out at top volume, unlike his more elegant rendiiton on the debut duets CD with Gheorghiu.) Compared to his Werther, his Des Grieux sounds pushed and rough at times. The push works given how passionate the chemistry is between him and his heroine. There's nothing quite like it on the opera stage right now. Currently his Cavaradossi and Don Jose, along with his Berlioz arias, sound coarse and strained to me. One misses the nuance he brought to Massenet seven years ago.
Finally, the Belgian supporting cast from the Monnaaie Opera in Brussels are refreshingly Gallic, and Pappano conducts the music for all its worth. No Massenet opera is pure gold, and Manon contains more than its share of frivolous, limp, or irrelevant music, and minor characters litter the drama about whom we care nothing. Pappano makes the whole score sparkle, though, and our attetnion is riveted where it needs to be, on the romantic leads. It's because of them that Manon survives in the oepra house, and this EMI recording makes the most of that."
Another Winner From The Alagna/Gheorghiu Pair
Santa Fe Listener | 02/25/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Other than Renee Fleming's recent Manon release, this studio recording of Manon is considered a superb rendition, especially because today's hottest opera couple - Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu- sing their hearts out as the lovers Manon and Des Grieux in a moving performance. EMI has championed this amazing pair and under this same label you will find recordings of Gounod's Romeo Et Juliette, Tosca, Werther, La Rondine and most recently Il Trovatore. Soprano Angela Gheorghiu had some big shoes to fill singing this part. Beverly Sills had owned the role for a time in the 70's and it was one of her top 3 greatest roles. Soprano Mirella Freni sang the role to great acclaim as did Victoria De Los Angeles. Nevertheless, even with all these big names before her, Angela Gheorghiu masters this role in a uniquely stunning performance. Her big, dramatic voice is tailor suited to the role's darker aspects. While Manon can easily be reduced to a vacuous and insensitive French heroine, Angela Gheorghiu makes her willful, passionate, dramatic. She is able to make her sound girlish and flirtatious in the first act. Later on she shades her voice to bring out her negative side- she's ambitious, materialistic and a gold-digger. But, through the magic of Gheorghiu's voice and conductor Antonio Pappano's treatment of the score, the finale is especially powerful. She is resigned, regretful and wholly changed. This role is Gheorghiu's greatest vehicle, even better than her much-vaunted La Traviata. Here, she is able to act and sing with equal successes, a rare thing for this particular brand of "look pretty and sing" soprano. Even more than Renee Fleming (who is dramatically unsatisfactory) Gheorghiu most effectively sings Manon in the manner that Massenet intended.
Tenor Roberto Alagna sings with beautiful tones and with elegance and musicality. His French is not as bad as people have claimed. His chemistry with Gheorghiu is once again electrifying. The St. Sulpice scene/duet ranks as the most powerfully moving ever. The preceeding aria is also very well-executed, a thrilling display of nearly verisimo like singing. As a matter of fact, because of the intensity of the singers, and Pappano's conducting, this Manon is relatively more "verisimo" than other Manons. But this doesn't detract from its excellence. All devoted fans of Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna should own this recording. As a bonus, baritone Jose Van Dam, past his prime but singing just as good as his younger days, sings a wonderful Des Grieux Senior. If you're a fan of this type of dramatic-lyric singing, look for other recordings from this amazing duo. I hope that eventually, while they are still in good voice, Gheorghiu and Alagna can sing old and forgotten operas like Charpentier's Louise which has a slight similarity to Manon, or turn of the century works like Zardonia's Francesca Da Rimini. I sincerely feel those works are suited to them......A fan from the US"
Sonically beautiful but lacking in character
Esteban Molina | San Francisco | 05/31/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I think my "title" pretty much sums up my response to this "Manon". The overall sound is rich, even lush; but I find very little character in the leads, especially Gheorghiu. She sings ravishingly; she really does - there's no question about that. But over and again I find my attention wandering, because she never gives me a sense of a character in a particular place and situation. There are occasional insightful moments, but not enough for me. Her voice while dying on the roadside is much the same as in the Gavotte: full and ravishing. Alagna is robust, but not particularly Gallic; and, again, there is not a lot of character, no change from scene to scene to denote the changes in the Chevalier's life and love. One reviewer said it sounded like Leoncavallo, and I have to admit that I know what he meant. It takes more than singing in French to make French Opera! On the other hand, when the secondary artists have the stage, I begin to get a sense of scene and event and a shadow of that strange quality that makes French opera different than other varieties. SO...if you want a perfectly beautiful stretch of music in lovely sound quality, you'll be happy with this "Manon". It *is* lovely. If on the other hand you value singing that varies its colour and weight and conveys multiple shades of character, I think you'll be disappointed, as was I."
