Manon

When Jules Massenet began to write his opera Manon, another opera with the same theme, composed by D. F. E. Auber, was being successfully performed. It tells the story of the love and break-up of Manon Lescaut and the Chevalier des Grieuxe and their becoming close again. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille and based on the Abbé Prévost’s 1731 novel. Czech theatre-goers know the beautiful 1940 play in verse by Vítězslav Nezval. After Massenet, the same story was used by Giacomo Puccini; however, he did not manage to push Massenet’s Manon from the world's stages. Massenet’s opera has everything that a good opera needs: a high quality libretto and captivating music, whose lyricism, drama, effective vocal parts and rich instrumentation draw listeners’ attention.

 It has returned to Pilsen after nearly half a century and is sung in French with Czech and German subtitles.