- Price:
9/5-9/6 NTD 500, 1000, 2400, 3200, 4200, 52009/7-9/8 NTD 500, 1200, 2600, 3600, 4600, 5600
- Presenter: Weiwuying
- Duration is 165 minutes with a 20-minute intermission.
- Performed in Italian with both English and Mandarin surtitles.
The performance contains prop guns, gunshots, and intimacy on stage. Viewer discretion is advised.
The program will be filmed on September 5 and 6 at 19:30.
- Age guidance 7+
- Latecomers must follow staff instructions for entry and re-entry.
- For Group Purchase Discounts, please contact 07-262-6666.
G. PUCCINI - Manon Lescaut
►[ House Program ] G. PUCCINI - Manon Lescaut
Renowned as the kingdom of choral and voice music, Italy boasts a rich history in operas, dating back to the Renaissance era with its earliest operatic works. However, it may come as a surprise to some music lovers that Giacomo PUCCINI, one of the most successful opera maestros born in a country which nurtured numerous beautiful melodies and arias, didn't become known to the public for his musical genius until the age of 35. With incredible confidence, patience, and extraordinary sense of dramatics, PUCCINI adeptly adopted popular writing techniques of his time, seamlessly incorporating them into his own works and thus crafting an eclectic style. Having only written 12 operas throughout his lifetime, PUCCINI wasn't the most productive composer. Nevertheless, his works have endured the test of time and continued to be among the most-performed operas to this day. His operas were featured in Hollywood blockbusters such as Quantum of Solace and Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation as important plot devices. Like it or not, one cannot live a life without hearing PUCCINI. This year marks his 100th death anniversary, so expect to hear more of him!
How exactly did PUCCINI earn his fame at the age of 35? The answer lies within his third opera Manon Lescaut. Premiering in 1893, the opera was based on the 1731 novel Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by Abbé PRÉVOST, a famed novelist. The novel tells the story of the uninhibited lifestyles of aristocratic heirs when France was under the reign of Louis XV. The book is recognized as the most reprinted book in French literature, largely attributable to the young, frivolous, pretty, luxurious, lovely, laughable, yet pitiable Manon. Indeed, few can resist the temptation of a seductive heroine in a wild, tempestuous legend. Even the great novelist Alexandre DUMAS made a reference to Manon in A Dama das Camélias, which further cemented her status as the materialistic femme fatale in the history of literature.
Despite how well-known the original novel is, PUCCINI's Manon Lescaut didn't come by easily, especially when the original material was already adopted into an opera by French composer Jules MASSENET, whose version is still frequently performed on stage today.
"MASSENET felt [Manon] as a Frenchman, with powder and minutes. I shall feel it as an Italian, with a desperate passion," said PUCCINI, as he made the decision to "rehash" the century-old story, "Why can't there be two operas about Manon, when a woman like her can have more than one lover?"
Like MASSENET, PUCCINI knew how to write women well, and they both excelled in their own way. To avoid head-on comparisons with his senior, PUCCINI strived to avoid scenes already written by MASSENET. He modified the plot and divided the opera into four acts, each with strikingly distinct staging. To strengthen the connection between acts, he made the role of the male lead much more significant than in the novel, while his version of Manon was the most hot-blooded and dramatic yet. Every scene from PUCCINI's Manon Lescaut is filled with tension, emotions, and passion. In hindsight, it should not come as a surprise that PUCCINI's Manon Lescaut has remained a hit for more than a century; indeed, he knew how to intrigue the audience with his unique operatic aesthetics.
MASSENET revised his Manon countless times and so did PUCCINI with his version. For this production, we are presenting the final revision of Manon Lescaut written by PUCCINI himself. The lush, delicate orchestral accompaniment and the heartfelt arias in this version are arguably some of the best works ever penned by PUCCINI. The revered veteran tenor Plácido DOMINGO ranked PUCCINI's Manon Lescaut as one of his top six favorite operatic works of all time, indicating how much it showcases the range of a vocalist. The final scene where Manon dies of exhaustion was so imbued with emotions that few operas in the history of music can compare. The goal of this international co-production between the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), Slovene National Theatre Maribor, and Teatro Colón Buenos Aires is to plunge the audience deep in love with not only Manon's charm and opulent lifestyle but also with the operatic genius that is PUCCINI. Whether you are an opera fan or new to the art form, join us in this production of Manon Lescaut as we celebrate the 100th death anniversary of PUCCINI.
Pre-talk
2024/9/5(Thu)19:00 Opera House 2F
2024/9/6(Fri)19:00 Opera House 2F
2024/9/7(Sat)14:00 Opera House 2F
2024/9/8(Sun)14:00 Opera House 2F
Creative and Production Team
Conductor｜CHIEN Wen-pin
Stage Director｜Pier Francesco MAESTRINI
Assistant Director｜Tim RIBIČ
Set Designer｜Nicolas BONI
Costume Designer｜Luca DALL'ALPI, Suzana RENGEO
Lighting Designer｜Pier Francesco MAESTRINI, Nicolas BONI, Sašo BEKAFIGO
Technical Director｜Jože ŠNUDERL
Manon Lescaut｜KENG Li (Sep 5 & 7), LIN Ling-hui (Sep 6 & 8)
Lescaut｜CHEN Han-wei (Sep 5 & 7), CHAO Fang-hao (Sep 6 & 8)
Il Cavaliere Renato des Grieux｜Angelos SAMARTZIS (Sep 5 & 7), CHOI Seung-jin (Sep 6 & 8)
Geronte di Ravoir / Un Comandante di Marina｜Taihwan PARK
Edmondo / Il maestro di ballo / Un lampionaio｜Claude LIN
L'oste / Sergente degli Arcieri｜TSENG Wen-i
Un musico｜WANG Yu-hsin
Orchestra｜Evergreen Symphony Orchestra
Chorus｜Planetesimal Vocal Art Studio
Co-produced by National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), Slovene National Theatre Maribor, and Teatro Colón Buenos Aires.
 |
 |
 |
Photo credit by Tiberiu Marta/Slovene National Theatre Maribor
Cultural Development Partner
 |
 |
Co-sponsor
 |
G. PUCCINI - Manon Lescaut
►[ House Program ] G. PUCCINI - Manon Lescaut
Renowned as the kingdom of choral and voice music, Italy boasts a rich history in operas, dating back to the Renaissance era with its earliest operatic works. However, it may come as a surprise to some music lovers that Giacomo PUCCINI, one of the most successful opera maestros born in a country which nurtured numerous beautiful melodies and arias, didn't become known to the public for his musical genius until the age of 35. With incredible confidence, patience, and extraordinary sense of dramatics, PUCCINI adeptly adopted popular writing techniques of his time, seamlessly incorporating them into his own works and thus crafting an eclectic style. Having only written 12 operas throughout his lifetime, PUCCINI wasn't the most productive composer. Nevertheless, his works have endured the test of time and continued to be among the most-performed operas to this day. His operas were featured in Hollywood blockbusters such as Quantum of Solace and Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation as important plot devices. Like it or not, one cannot live a life without hearing PUCCINI. This year marks his 100th death anniversary, so expect to hear more of him!
How exactly did PUCCINI earn his fame at the age of 35? The answer lies within his third opera Manon Lescaut. Premiering in 1893, the opera was based on the 1731 novel Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by Abbé PRÉVOST, a famed novelist. The novel tells the story of the uninhibited lifestyles of aristocratic heirs when France was under the reign of Louis XV. The book is recognized as the most reprinted book in French literature, largely attributable to the young, frivolous, pretty, luxurious, lovely, laughable, yet pitiable Manon. Indeed, few can resist the temptation of a seductive heroine in a wild, tempestuous legend. Even the great novelist Alexandre DUMAS made a reference to Manon in A Dama das Camélias, which further cemented her status as the materialistic femme fatale in the history of literature.
Despite how well-known the original novel is, PUCCINI's Manon Lescaut didn't come by easily, especially when the original material was already adopted into an opera by French composer Jules MASSENET, whose version is still frequently performed on stage today.
"MASSENET felt [Manon] as a Frenchman, with powder and minutes. I shall feel it as an Italian, with a desperate passion," said PUCCINI, as he made the decision to "rehash" the century-old story, "Why can't there be two operas about Manon, when a woman like her can have more than one lover?"
Like MASSENET, PUCCINI knew how to write women well, and they both excelled in their own way. To avoid head-on comparisons with his senior, PUCCINI strived to avoid scenes already written by MASSENET. He modified the plot and divided the opera into four acts, each with strikingly distinct staging. To strengthen the connection between acts, he made the role of the male lead much more significant than in the novel, while his version of Manon was the most hot-blooded and dramatic yet. Every scene from PUCCINI's Manon Lescaut is filled with tension, emotions, and passion. In hindsight, it should not come as a surprise that PUCCINI's Manon Lescaut has remained a hit for more than a century; indeed, he knew how to intrigue the audience with his unique operatic aesthetics.
MASSENET revised his Manon countless times and so did PUCCINI with his version. For this production, we are presenting the final revision of Manon Lescaut written by PUCCINI himself. The lush, delicate orchestral accompaniment and the heartfelt arias in this version are arguably some of the best works ever penned by PUCCINI. The revered veteran tenor Plácido DOMINGO ranked PUCCINI's Manon Lescaut as one of his top six favorite operatic works of all time, indicating how much it showcases the range of a vocalist. The final scene where Manon dies of exhaustion was so imbued with emotions that few operas in the history of music can compare. The goal of this international co-production between the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), Slovene National Theatre Maribor, and Teatro Colón Buenos Aires is to plunge the audience deep in love with not only Manon's charm and opulent lifestyle but also with the operatic genius that is PUCCINI. Whether you are an opera fan or new to the art form, join us in this production of Manon Lescaut as we celebrate the 100th death anniversary of PUCCINI.
Pre-talk
2024/9/5(Thu)19:00 Opera House 2F
2024/9/6(Fri)19:00 Opera House 2F
2024/9/7(Sat)14:00 Opera House 2F
2024/9/8(Sun)14:00 Opera House 2F
Creative and Production Team
Conductor｜CHIEN Wen-pin
Stage Director｜Pier Francesco MAESTRINI
Assistant Director｜Tim RIBIČ
Set Designer｜Nicolas BONI
Costume Designer｜Luca DALL'ALPI, Suzana RENGEO
Lighting Designer｜Pier Francesco MAESTRINI, Nicolas BONI, Sašo BEKAFIGO
Technical Director｜Jože ŠNUDERL
Manon Lescaut｜KENG Li (Sep 5 & 7), LIN Ling-hui (Sep 6 & 8)
Lescaut｜CHEN Han-wei (Sep 5 & 7), CHAO Fang-hao (Sep 6 & 8)
Il Cavaliere Renato des Grieux｜Angelos SAMARTZIS (Sep 5 & 7), CHOI Seung-jin (Sep 6 & 8)
Geronte di Ravoir / Un Comandante di Marina｜Taihwan PARK
Edmondo / Il maestro di ballo / Un lampionaio｜Claude LIN
L'oste / Sergente degli Arcieri｜TSENG Wen-i
Un musico｜WANG Yu-hsin
Orchestra｜Evergreen Symphony Orchestra
Chorus｜Planetesimal Vocal Art Studio
Co-produced by National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), Slovene National Theatre Maribor, and Teatro Colón Buenos Aires.
|
|
|
Photo credit by Tiberiu Marta/Slovene National Theatre Maribor
Cultural Development Partner
|
|
Co-sponsor
|
- Price:
9/5-9/6 NTD 500, 1000, 2400, 3200, 4200, 52009/7-9/8 NTD 500, 1200, 2600, 3600, 4600, 5600
- Presenter: Weiwuying
- Duration is 165 minutes with a 20-minute intermission.
- Performed in Italian with both English and Mandarin surtitles.
The performance contains prop guns, gunshots, and intimacy on stage. Viewer discretion is advised.
The program will be filmed on September 5 and 6 at 19:30.
- Age guidance 7+
- Latecomers must follow staff instructions for entry and re-entry.
- For Group Purchase Discounts, please contact 07-262-6666.
