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Puccini - Manon Lescaut (remastered) | 
 enlarge | Director: Gian Carlo Menotti
Actors: Renata Scotto, Placido Domingo, Pablo Elvira, Renato Capecchi, Philip Creech
Studio: Deutsche Grammophon
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.98
Buy New: $16.49
You Save: $13.49 (45%)
New (26) Used (10) from $12.13
Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 74006
Format: Ac-3, Dolby, Dts Surround Sound, Ntsc, Subtitled
Languages: Italian (Original Language), German (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Italian (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 0
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 134 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 000641909
UPC: 044007342411
EAN: 0044007342411
ASIN: B000E5KOK2
Theatrical Release Date: 1980
Release Date: May 9, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Similar Items:
| • | Puccini - Turandot / Franco Zeffirelli - Marton, Domingo, Mitchell, Plishka, Cuenod - James Levine, MET (1988) | | • | Puccini - La Boheme / Pavarotti, Scotto, Niska, Wixell, Plishka, Levine, Metropolitan Opera | | • | Verdi - Don Carlo (remastered) | | • | Verdi - Otello / Domingo, Fleming, Morris, Croft, Levine, Moshinsky, Metropolitan Opera | | • | Puccini - Tosca (remastered) |
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| Customer Reviews:
 Renata Scotto is wonderful! November 29, 2008
ravennamoon (Naples, Italy)
I have recently been on a "Manon Lescaut" kick--having watched this
version of the opera, the Kiri/Domingo version, and the recent Met
production starring Karita Mattila.
I watched Renata Scotto in this dvd of the opera last night and just
loved it! She was a WONDERFUL Manon--the entire Act II was especially
enjoyable, as was Act IV. Scotto is a great actress, as well as having
a beautiful voice, and she seemed to really sink her teeth into the part.
For me, this performance was equal, though different, from the Kiri Te Kanawa "Manon Lescaut". It is true, Kiri and Placido Domingo had lots
of chemistry! They are awesome together. That is a hard performance to
top. But Renata Scotto's portrayal was so much fun, I think I enjoyed it
just as much. Maybe the Kiri version is slightly more romantic.
(I would mention that for me the Mattila/Giordani MET performance was
sadly disappointing. No sparks there. And some less than shimmering
vocals as well, at times.)
I highly recommend this Renata Scotto "Manon Lescaut". You will love the
singing, the passionate performances of all the singers, even the beautiful sets and costumes. All perfection.
WOW November 8, 2004
G. Golding (Seattle, WA)
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
This is my favorite opera production. I consider it to be one of the greatest ever (as did Domingo). Occasionally there is a camera problem, but it's minor. This is a sexy opera and the stars give it right back to us. Yes, I prefer Freni (my goddess) than Scotto, but Scotto makes up her vocal shrillness with her incredible acting. This is a must see for Manon lovers and I can't wait to see it next year live at Seattle Opera.
Enjoy, friends!
Glorious July 16, 2004
Joseph Hart (Visalia, CA United States)
8 out of 20 found this review helpful
I dislike reviewers (or anyone else) who use expressions like "must have," "must read" or "buy it!"! The first two expressions are just in, and I'll buy what it pleases me to buy. But Manon. This I thought was glorious music gloriously sung and acted to within an inch of its life by everyone involved. Manon has always been one of my favorite operas, this is the first time I've seen it, and I doubt I'll watch it again, nothing happens, I'll just listen to the CDs. I only had 2 objections. Scotto and Domingo were both a bit long in the tooth for their roles which to me anyway was very hard to take, the illusion that they were 18 or 20 years old was impossible to maintain. Both were wonderful of course, just too told for their parts. And (sigh, which is typical of an opera), it took forever for Scotto to die, in fact, the music notwithstanding (and I've always loved listening to it), I got bored and started laughing at the dialogue or lyrics or whatever its called by those who are in the know. The sets (as others mentioned) were really wonderful. Levine performed as well as the actors on stage. He always seemed to be looking right into the camera or at least facing it, this was particularly prolonged during the intermezzo. I liked Levine (or at least, never disliked him) up until this DVD. The subtitles were thorough, a thing I've not encountered lately on other DVDs. I recomend this DVD 100% musically and for everything except the age of its stars, and if you can find a version as perfectly done with younger lovers (and by younger, I mean young), I wish you'd recommend that to me.
Great Production, Poor Video January 30, 2003
Z. Yang (Hockessin, DE USA)
18 out of 27 found this review helpful
"A woman like Manon can have more than one lover", this is a statement made by Puccini when he decided to write his opera of "Manon", facing the already universally successful "Manon" by his French predecessor Massenet. Distinctively, he brought out his Manon with innocence, vanity, and cupidity, and Des Grieux, Manon's passionate lover, with Italian blood.
There is an abrupt jump from Act I to Act II, which may result in discontinuity of Manon's characters, as well as her love to Des Grieux. But as it goes on and as Puccini's music gets more deeply into the agony of the lovers, it gets better. In Act III the emotion has reached its hilt when Des Grieux sings his desperate pleading "Guardate, pazzo son", begging the captain to let him aboard with Manon. The strong dramatics then carries on and gets intensified in Act IV, and ends on Manon's tragic death and Des Grieux's helpless sobbing.
Soprano Reneta Scott, who sings Manon, is impressive in singing. Giving the best performance in Act IV, she is amazing in her vocal power, in forte or in piano. But portraying an eighteen-year-old character, Scott needs more than she could in order to be convincing. She delivers Manon with accuracy, if not vividness.
Although it is the story of Manon, on the stage of Met shines the brilliant Des Grieux, played by Domingo. His voice is lighter and brighter, and yet, more expressive, and his big outbursts are wallop. He looks young and lean, and his acting is full of feeling. Act IV is purely Pucinni with great intensity. Domingo portrays desperation and rage brilliantly. His sobbing is heartbreaking.
One big problem with this DVD is its video and audio quality. Almost every motion on the screen has a ghost tail following behind, somewhat distracting, and at times, annoying. The audio is not as bad as video, but just acceptable. What a pity that this production couldn't be caught on camera with the same sharpness as the opera itself!
 The Singing is Not Very Good August 27, 2001
5 out of 31 found this review helpful
I have contributed this video to the library because I couldn't stand the singing. Both leads sing uncharacteristically but consistently flat in the early part of the opera. The chorus is limp and other minor parts are are sung with too much wobble to be distinct. The strongest part of the singing is the excellent Lescaut of Pablo Elvira, but it just isn't a big enough part to make up for the rest. The orchestra plays well and the last two parts of the opera are well staged.
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