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The Radio 3 Boards > The Music Boards > The Opera House > Puccini's women
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Author Topic: Puccini's women  (Read 997 times)
Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #30 on: 19:05:58, 29-05-2007 »
Quote from: Reiner Torheit on 19:42:49, 25-05-2007
We haven't mentioned Manon Lescaut... for whom it's difficult to feel much sympathy?  She's a nasty and manipulative little minx who leads Des Grieux to a grim and remorseless death,  all of which is entirely her making.

I'm just listening to this again (Chailly's recording picked up for £1 on eBay!) and must admit it's never been my favourite Puccini; not only is Manon rather dislikeable as a character, I'm not sure any of the characters particularly deserve our sympathy.
Good recording btw, though I don't feel Te Kanawa is a natural Puccinian...not quite in the Freni/Domingo/Sinopoli class, but enjoyable.  Smiley
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ernani
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« Reply #31 on: 11:42:01, 30-05-2007 »
Agreed - Te Kananwa is simply not right for Manon. And as for Carreras, it's rather sad to hear him barking and shouting his way through Des Grieux's music - totally miscast. It's a role that needs a Bjorling or Domingo to do it justice. Such a shame that Carreras wasn't content to remain the wonderful lyric tenor that he was in the 70s and instead wrecked his voice singing roles that were far to heavy for him like Chenier, Radames, Alvaro, Manrico etc.
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #32 on: 11:50:48, 30-05-2007 »
Agreed. Carreras made some notable contributions to Philips' Early Verdi series. I wonder how much he was pushed into taking on the heavier roles by conductors like Karajan? I haven't heard his Chenier or Manrico, and have no great desire to do so, although there were some good things about his Radames and Don Carlos on the Karajan recordings, although the voice/ orchestral balance is ridiculously in favour of the orchestra for much of the time.
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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