manon lescaut

before this year, i had only seen one opera before in my life.  in the last five months, i've seen four.  the most recent was puccini's manon lescaut here in florence at the teatro communale.  i've been a fan of puccini's music for a while but nothing compares to hearing a live orchestra and seeing the performers on stage.  it was absolutely lovely.

the story, based on a french novel, tells of a student, des grieux, who falls in love with manon, a beautiful girl on her way to a convent.  des grieux convices her to run away to paris with him, but she later desserts him because he is poor and takes up with geronte, a rich older man, but she is bored and unhappy with him.  des grieux turns up and the two renew their vows of love to one another, but geronte discovers them and had manon arrested.  manon is sentenced to deportation to louisiana but des grieux manages to convince the ship's captain to let him on.  in the last act, manon and des grieux wander through the dessert trying to make their way to a british settlement but exhausted and weak from thirst, manon dies in her lover's arms.

not only were the orchestra and singers exceptional, but i just fell in love with the libretto.  some of the lyrics are just so poetic that when combined with the overpowering music that they brisent le coeur. i wish i could remember all the italian (thank goodness for supertitles).  there's one moment in act 2 when des grieux reappears and manon begs for his forgiveness and he just looks at her and sings, "o tentatrice!"  it's such a wonderful moment because he knows that she will be his downfall but he takes her back anyway...so tragically beautiful!!

these are some clips of pavarotti singing parts of act i. sooo gooood.  the operas i've seen while abroad have definitely inspired me to see more opera in new york.i can't wait to go to the met when i get back!  i never thought i would get so emotionally invested in the stories but the music is so powerful that it just draws you in. what can i say? i'm hooked.