Spain Puccini, Manon Lescaut: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Gran Teatre del Liceu / Josep Pons (conductor). Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, 23.3.2026. (JMI)
Manon Lescaut was last seen at the Liceu eight years ago and, on that occasion, the protagonists were Liudmyla Monastyrska and Gregory Kunde, who gave a fine performance.
This time, I went to the Liceu with great anticipation – the reviews I had read all predicted a triumph for Asmik Grigorian in the title role, accompanied by tenor Ivan Gyngazov who replaced Joshua Guerrero due to illness. However, it was not exactly enthusiasm that I felt upon leaving the theater. This was a disappointing performance musically, unevenly staged and vocally salvaged only by the protagonist, Asmik Grigorian.
Manon Lescaut was the opera that catapulted Puccini to fame. It is a rather uneven work, hampered by a libretto whose authorship is more than unclear – Puccini himself had a hand in it. It is a work of inconsistent quality that doesn’t take off musically or dramatically until the third act. However, it was a genuine triumph at its premiere in Turin in 1894 and has never been absent from the programs of major opera houses. In recent years, it had become something of a rarity, until the great Asmik Grigorian added it to her repertoire.
The Liceu’s production originated at the Frankfurt Opera where it premiered in December 2022. Director Alex Ollé brings the action into modern times and portrays Manon as an immigrant, according to the video shown a couple of minutes before the opera begins. The production is somewhat uneven, with a good first act that takes place on a large terrace of the bar and hotel at the Amiens bus station. The second act shifts to a room in a brothel that Geronte runs. Act III is the least successful: the set consists of a kind of metal cage in which the prostitutes are put before leaving the port of Le Havre. The final act is more engaging. Large rotating letters on stage spelling out the word LOVE appear throughout the last acts.
Josep Pons, the current music director of the Liceu, led the orchestra, and I found his interpretation particularly disappointing. I did not expect much since Puccini isn’t one of his specialties. I will just say that Puccini without emotion does not work, and that is precisely what happened with his conducting: it was flat, monotonous and lacked any feeling. However, both the Orchestra and the Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu did well.
Soprano Asmik Grigorian is one of the most accomplished singers today. This is the second time I have seen her in the role of Manon, and her identification with it is truly remarkable. Her stage presence is magnificent, in keeping with her vocal performance. I do find that her voice is not particularly large and cannot be compared to those of other interpreters of the role in the recent past, such as Raina Kabaivanska, Maria Guleghina or Sondra Radvanovsky.
Des Grieux was sung by tenor Joshua Guerrero, who had been absent from previous performances but returned for this one. I found him unconvincing: his voice has size and quality, but his singing is rather dull with everything forte, and his stage presence falls short.
Lescaut, Manon’s brother, was sung by baritone Iuri Samoilov who has a beautiful voice, well-suited to the character. Donato Di Stefano did a good job with Geronte di Ravoir, tenor Filip Filipović was impressive as Edmondo and Mercedes Gancedo did well as the Singer. I should also mention the powerful voice of tenor Andrea Antognetti as the Lamplighter.
José M. Irurzun
Featured Image: Liceu’s Manon Lescaut Act II © S. Panzio
Production:
Director – Alex Ollé
Sets – Alfons Flores
Costumes – Lluc Castells
Lighting – Joachim Klein
Chorus master – Pablo Assante
Cast:
Manon Lescaut – Asmik Grigorian
Des Grieux – Joshua Guerrero
Lescaut – Iurii Samoilov
Geronte di Ravoir – Donato Di Stefano
Edmondo – Filip Filipović
Innkeeper – Alessandro Vandin
Dancing Master – Álvaro Diana
Singer – Mercedes Gancedo
Sargeant – Domingo Ramos
Lamplighter – Andrea Antognetti
Naval Captain – Pau Bordas