Manon Lescaut

Synopsis

Manon Lescaut is one of the world’s great love stories. It is a tragic tale of a beguiling young woman, torn between true love and a desire for wealth, who discovers she can’t have both. A young student, Des Grieux, meets the beautiful, but capricious, Manon. They fall in love and he saves her from abduction by a rich old roué. But Manon cannot resist the lure of wealth and later allows herself to be seduced by the old man. Before long, however, she is bored, and when Des Grieux appears, her love is reignited. When the old man catches them together, Manon is arrested and deported to Louisiana. The compassionate ship’s captain allows Des Grieux to go with her, and she dies in his arms in the desert.

Additional Info

• No: GBCRB0800058
• Composer: Giacomo Puccini
• Conductor: Giuseppe Sinopoli
• Orchestra: Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
• Artists: Placido Domingo, Thomas Allen, Kiri Te Kanawa
• Production year: 1983
• Run time: 02:10:00
• Director: Stage Director: Götz Friedrich
• Producers: BBC Television in association with NVC ARTS
• Format: HDTV