The Met Opera’s Manon Lescaut screens at USC


The Thornton School of Music and the School of Cinematic Arts hosted a broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera’s performance of Giacomo Puccini’s Manon Lescaut in Norris Cinema Theater on Saturday morning. The performance maintained the standard of what has become expected of The Met’s caliber, and mesmerized audiences around the world.

The broadcast, made possible through the Met’s Live in HD series, did not diminish the intensity of the performance showcased, compared to an in-person experience. The performance, even while more than 2,000 miles away, was so thoroughly executed that one could have easily been in France, the setting for the Manon Lescaut.

Upon the start of Act I, the audience meets the character Manon Lescaut, performed by Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais, and Des Grieux, sung by French tenor Roberto Alagna. A story between two ill-fated lovers, the opera embraces the theme of grand and highly expressive sorrow that Puccini’s score effectively portrays. The power of their performance was able to immediately envelop the audience and transport them into the life and times of Nazi-occupied France. The music moves from the orchestra through the cast, a large machine working to portray the story in the way only Puccini could envision. The lyricism and subtle romanticism of the opera was equally balanced with modern and large technical phrases.

The opera was in a constant dynamic state from start to beginning. There was never a stone unturned by the performers searching to bring out the unique qualities of each of their characters. They proved their ability to portray Puccini’s big picture in the face of the extremely powerful score and were also successful in picking up the smaller, more intricate details, moving the story along and reflecting on their characters’ backstories and predicaments. Conductor Fabio Luisi shined at the podium, perfecting Puccini’s vision. Bouncing between the performers and the musicians, the music of the opera is able to successfully draw out the agony and perpetual drama between Manon and Des, in a way that words alone could not express.

The broadcast also allowed the special opportunity for the audience to see behind the scenes, unlike the live audience at Lincoln Center. Hosted by American soprano Deborah Voigt, the broadcast allowed viewers to see interviews with Luisi, director Sir Richard Eyre and a tour of the costume shop and behind-curtain set changes between acts.

Though experiencing an opera performance via broadcast can have its drawbacks, the caliber of Metropolitan Opera’s performance filled the gap and took the audience on an equally superb journey, no matter the venue. The next Live in HD broadcast will take place on April 2 in the Norris Cinema Theater, featuring Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.