“The music holds the key to the character of Manon”
Two outstanding singers will be taking turns in the title role for the first few performances of the new production of Manon Lescaut: the magnificent Italian diva Norma Fantini, who has enjoyed a sensational career as an international opera singer, and Bolshoi Theatre soloist Anna Nechaeva, who spent several seasons at the Mikhailovsky Theatre not long ago. Norma Fantini was named the world’s best interpreter of Puccini in 2009, and Manon is one of her signature roles, along with Tosca and Aida. By contrast, the upcoming première will be the first time Anna Nechaeva has sung the part on stage.
We thought it would be interesting to compare the two artists’ approaches to the character, who is as seductive as she is contradictory. When the question was put to her, Norma Fantini, who has appeared as Manon Lescaut many times in various productions in Italy, Germany, and the USA, was initially disinclined to open up on the subject: “I don’t have my own opinion on that, I do whatever the director proposes.” Anna Nechaeva, whose experience of the role has so far been confined to her rehearsals with Jürgen Flimm, gave a somewhat different answer: “Puccini’s wonderful music holds the key, telling the performer everything she needs to know about Manon Lescaut’s character and emotions.”
“The emotions really are very deeply ingrained in the music: all you need to do is be attentive as you penetrate it”, agrees Fantini. “I have been singing this part for many years, but when I was still very young, strange as it may seem, I was unable to fully understand the role and all the emotions swirling around within this character. It was not until a few years later that I began to fully comprehend her. She is not a frivolous woman, nor is she brazen. She dreams of running away from home by any means she can, if only she can avoid becoming a nun. The whole story is about her escape from her monotonous life.”
“I could easily apply this image to myself”, muses Anna Nechaeva. “After all, there is a lot that is hidden from view in all of us, and in each character you play, there is always something that is also in you — and that can be brought out and demonstrated. Manon is very young, but she is nevertheless a profound individual who is capable of great love. But there has to be some lightness in her character, and that needs to be brought out, too. She may be attracted by jewellery and bright lights, but ultimately she chooses her deeper feelings over these things. Manon could quite easily be someone you might encounter today — her character is timeless. And the closer the action on stage becomes to the reality of modern life, the easier it is for the plot to be understood and the character to be developed.”.
“A man with money crosses Manon’s path, giving her the opportunity to lead a stylish life”, says Norma Fantini. “But that kind of life is not enough for her. Love is also important to her. She is constantly searching for something. When she finds money, there is a lack of love, and when she finds love, there is no money. As a result, she is permanently dissatisfied with her life.”
