Reviews — The New York Times

From the New York Times - January 28, 1896

“MANON” AT THE OPERA
A Triumph for Mme. Melba and M.
Jean de Reszke.

     It is well for the sake of M. Massenet’s standing in the community, that his outrageous “Navarraise” should be succeeded as soon as possible by a work which shows him to so much better advantage as “Manon.” The balanced and melodious numbers of this work are, perhaps, the author’s best performance in dramatic music, and they are up to the best level of contemporaneous French compositions. They take us into another world from that of the noisy savagery of the later opera.
     The present production is largely a repetition of that of last year. The most conspicuous difference is the substitution of Mme. Melba for Miss Sibyl Sanderson, who made in “Manon” her first appearance in her own country. There cannot be any question of the improvement in this respect, in a work which is so largely a “prima donna opera.” Mme. Melba was in excellent voice, and sang the laborious part without a sign of flagging or fatigue. The brilliant music of the promenade scene, including a minuet added by the composer since the last production of the opera here, was, of course, perfectly within her scope. In the duet with De Grieux, in the fourth act, however, she reached a height of dramatic as well as musical force which she has very seldom equalled. It was, indeed, a brilliant performance. Of M. Jean de Reszke’s Chevalier there is no need to speak, so entirely adequate and satisfactory it is. The tenor and the prima donna seemed in the critical scenes to stimulate each other. Nothing could be prettier than their delivery of the pretty music of the second act, while the climax of the opera was really thrilling in its dramatic intensity. With Melba and Jean de Reszke “Manon” ought to be brought out of the comparative neglect of an occasional production to become one of the mainstays of an opera season. The applause at the end of the third act was not limited to hand-clapping, but from all parts of the house came the cries of admiration that denote real enthusiasm.
     It is scarcely necessary to add that the minor parts were well filed. The opera has been very liberally and intelligently put upon the stage. The promenade in the third act was especially noteworthy as a stage picture, full of movement, light, and color. The band, under Signor Bevignani, did its best to present Massenet’s music worthily. It was baffled, in respect to the interludes, by the unmusical people who insisted upon gabbing incessantly through the pianissimos. The complete cast is as follows:

Manon Lescaut                         Mme. Melba
Pousette                                    Mlle Bauermeister
Rosette                                      Clara Hunt
Javotte                                       Mme. Van Cauteren
Le Chevalier Des Grieux            Jean de Reszke
Le Comte Des Grieux                Plancon
Guillot                                       Castelmary
De Bretigny                               De Vries
Lescaut                                      Maurel
Conductor                                 Signor Bevignani

Last updated December 30, 2006