EN FERMANT LES YEUX – an aria from the opera Manon

The Portrait of Massenet’s Aria EN FERMANT LES YEUX

Read Interesting facts and hear great YouTube Videos about the famous Aria “EN FERMANT LES YEUX”.

If you want to hear more about the opera Manon, click on the link to the opera portrait

The Aria – Synopsis & Background

Synopsis: The visitor leave the apartment and Des Grieux dreams of a life for two. He dreams of a place where he and Manon can be happy.

The dream aria is one of the most famous arias of the standard tenor repertoire. It requires an incredible finesse and precision, not only in pitch, but also in resonance and breath. Massenet has ennobled this delicate piano aria with an enchanting orchestral accompaniment.  It requires the ability to sing a great sustained piano line.  “The orchestral accompaniment captivates with its high iridescent muted violins, to which Massenet adds even more brightness with flute and oboe. It is composed without basses and the tenor melody is also reserved, giving the impression that the aria can take off at any moment.” (Abbate).

The Aria – the text of En fermant les yeux

DES GRIEUX
En fermant les yeux, je vois là-bas une humble retraite,
une maisonnette toute blanche au fond des bois!
Sous ses tranquilles ombrages,
les clairs et joyeux ruisseaux,
où se mirent les feuillages,
chantent avec les oiseaux!
C’est le Paradis!
Oh! non! Tout est là triste et morose,
car il y manque une chose:
il y faut encor Manon!

MANON
C’est un rêve, une folie!

DES GRIEUX
Non! là sera notre vie,
si tu le veux, ô Manon!

Famous interpretations of En fermant mes yeux

Listen to this aria in a simply great interpretation by Jussi Björling. Note the wonderful and expressive ritardando at about 2:00 or the breathtaking diminuendo at the end.

En fermant les yeux (1) – Björling

Björling is considered by many to be the best Verdi tenor of the 20th century. Unfortunately, he never sang Manon on stage.

Next you’ll hear a recording with a tenor from our day. Jonas Kaufmann, a great Werther, has also sung Manon with great success. He gives the aria a melancholic character with his dark baritonal tenor voice.

En fermant les yeux (2) – Kaufmann

and a last version by Nicolai Gedda.

En fermant les yeux (3) – Gedda

Peter Lutz, opera-inside, the online opera guide to Adieu notre petite table from the opera Manon