3 immortal pieces from the opera MANON by Massenet – with the best interpretations from YouTube (Hits, Best of)

Massenet’s Manon is one of the absolute highlights of French opera. The role of Manon is one of the most impressive role portraits in opera literature. Experience the magnificent wealth of ideas Massenet composed in this opera.

Manon’s famous farewell – “Adieu notre petite table”

“Adieu notre petite table” is one of the famous arias of Manon. It describes Manon’s inner conflict between her honest love for Des Grieux and her desire for a glamorous future. Thus, in this scene, Manon goes through a roller coaster of emotions. At the beginning, she is moved by her love for Grieux (“Mon pauvre chevalier… j’aime”), then insecurity (“Je ne suis digne de lui”). But then it is fired by the promise of a life in the luxury of a big city, and the aria reaches its climax on the word “beauté” in a high B flat. The Brétigny motif appears and for a few moments she revels in the sweet anticipation of her bright future. But soon she is overcome (overfraught?) by melancholy feelings of farewell (“Adieu notre petite table”). She realizes that she has bought her queenly dream dearly, namely with the loss of her love.

Large passages of this aria are written in piano. They are sincere words whose feelings are mirrored again and again in the orchestra. The Spanish singer Victoria de los Angeles (1923-2005) is considered by many experts to be the best interpreter of the role of Manon. Kesting justifies this as follows: “Victoria de los Angeles was the singer of intimate tones, for all that is lyrical and quiet in music. Her unique and unmistakable timbre lay in a cloak of velvet.” Stratton speaks of “a voice for tender penumbra and gentle suggestion.” These are the ideal conditions, for this intimate key scene of Manon. Let’s hear Victoria de los Angeles in a live recording that exemplifies what was said.

Allons! … Adieu, notre petite table – de los Angeles

Massenet’s magnificent Dream Aria

The Dream Aria is one of the most famous arias in the standard tenor repertoire. It requires incredible finesse and precision, not only in pitch but also in resonance and breath. Massenet ennobled this delicate, piano aria with an enchanting orchestral accompaniment. “The orchestral accompaniment is captivating with the high iridescent muted violins, to which Massenet adds brightness with flute and oboe. It is composed without basses, and the tenor melody is also restrained, giving the impression that the aria might take off at any moment.” (Abbate / Parker, “History of Opera”).

Listen to the recording in a simply magnificent interpretation by Jussi Björling. Note the wonderful and expressive ritardando at about 2:00 or the breathtaking diminuendo at the end. Björling is considered by many to be the best Verdi tenor of the 20th century. Unfortunately, he never sang Manon on stage.

En fermant les yeux – Björling.

“Ah fuyez douce images” – another stroke of Massenet’s genius

Like the dream aria, this piece is an introspective reflection of his emotional world. It has been two years since Manon left him. He is still obsessed with her. After one bar of the recitative, Des Grieux remarks “Je suis seul” (“I am alone”). As he praises his decision to serve God (“C’est le moment suprême”), the orchestra plays love music and seems to contradict Des Grieux.

His vision of Manon (“Ah fuyez douce images”) begins tenderly and pianissimo. Later, the music becomes more intense, showing the pain that the feelings for Manon still evoke. The middle section plays with Manon’s motives and he even curses Manon without naming her (“ce nom maudit”; “this damned name”). The organ from the church accompanies him as he hopes to overcome this obsession. But soon the pain returns and he ends this great aria with a beautiful diminuendo.

We hear Nicolai Gedda (1925-1987). He was a tenor highly esteemed by connoisseurs. His voice captivated less with penetrating power than with his vocal artistry and extraordinary range. Kesting comments: “He always succeeds in combining vocal elegance with absolute credibility, as in the monastery scene from the 1962 Manon recording under Georges Prêtre: he shapes the recitative as a soliloquy of a confused young man who takes refuge from his fatal love in the monastery. In the aria, Des Grieux (and with him the listener) is overwhelmed by feelings for Manon; in the parlando middle section, Gedda once again conquers himself while organ chords ring out – only to be carried away again with masterfully crafted crescendos.”

Je suis seul… ah fuyez douce images – Gedda