Manon

[Birdsall]

I love this ballet Manon!!! I rented the dvd from Netflix from the Australian Ballet, and I expected to find it just so-so, b/c I am so familiar with Puccini's opera Manon Lescaut and Massenet's opera Manon. I like both operas but they are both fairly low on my list of operas I want to see again anytime soon. Even a star soprano would probably not entice me to go see it again. So I thought, "Maybe I should see the ballet, but I probably won't like it any better than the operas." Was I wrong! I loved the Manon ballet. It was such a fascinating mix of modern choreography (a drunk scene for Lescaut and a scene in which Manon is passed from man to man) yet based on classical ("beautiful") movement. I was really surprised I liked it so much. It is so modern-seeming while still pretty traditional. Maybe some people don't like that aspect, but I did.

I want to see the new Manon with Acosta and Rojo. I wonder if that is as good as the Australian Ballet version.

[innopac]

Have you seen this dvd? Perhaps netflix will have it.

There is also more about the ballet on this site:

Website for MacMillan

"He had chosen Antoinette Sibley as Manon and Anthony Dowell as Des Grieux, giving them both a copy of Prévost’s novel to read in preparation for their roles. He had completed three of their key pas de deux when Sibley was injured, out of action for several months. MacMillan finished the ballet with Jennifer Penney as Manon."

Royal Ballet with Jennifer Penney and Anthony Dowell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU3iKCexmR8

[Birdsall]

Have you seen this dvd? Perhaps netflix will have it.

There is also more about the ballet on this site:

Website for MacMillan

"He had chosen Antoinette Sibley as Manon and Anthony Dowell as Des Grieux, giving them both a copy of Prévost’s novel to read in preparation for their roles. He had completed three of their key pas de deux when Sibley was injured, out of action for several months. MacMillan finished the ballet with Jennifer Penney as Manon."

Royal Ballet with Jennifer Penney and Anthony Dowell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU3iKCexmR8

Thanks for the clip! I actually have that version in my Netflix queue about to come as soon as I get the dvds in the mail that I currently have from them. Since that is the original cast I want to see that. I think I chose the Australian Ballet version first b/c it was newer, and I thought the picture quality would be better, and I didn't think I would like the ballet as much as I did, so I originally thought any version would be okay for a first time viewing. Well, I loved the Australian Ballet version, and this clip looks good, and I plan to see the full version of this original cast soon. I think there are only 3 dvds available of Manon. The two we've mentioned and the brand new Acosta/Rojo one. That has good reviews on Amazon, and it is not available on Netflix. So the only way to see the Acosta/Rojo one is to purchase it so far.

[esperanto]

Acosta is very dramatic in his Manon

[Kerry1968]

Also worth investigating, Divine Dancers: Live from Prague (DVD/EuroArts 2006). It's a gala, but it does include a very lovely (and too brief) excerpt from Manon danced by Polina Semionova and Igor Zelensky. There's also a little interview in beginning where Semionova says that Manon is her favorite ballet.

[Birdsall]

Thanks for the heads up, Kerry! I will check that out!

[California]

Royal Ballet has just posted a very nice web page explaining the four central PdD in Manon, along with clips with three different couples:

http://www.roh.org.uk/news/manon-dance-highlights-four-extended-pas-de-deux

PS: Royal is doing Manon this month. La Scala is doing it in November 2015. I am so hoping ABT does it again next Met season.