AUDIENCE WAS CAPTIVATED BY OPERA “MANON”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27082, 17 May 1949, Page 6

AUDIENCE WAS CAPTIVATED BY OPERA “MANON”

The audience for Massenet’s opera, “Manon,” at last night’s performance by J. C. Williamson’s Italian Opera Company only'began to warm up in the second act, “ Manon ” being the only item in the company’s repertoire that was unfamiliar to New Zealand audiences.

Since it was first produced in Paris in 1884, “Manon” has been performed regularly there and in other Continental opera houses ever since, but has never become a regular item in English opera houses. " The plot is simple in a characteristically French way. The dramatic situations do not rouse excitement or create any emotional tension. On the other hand, the simplicity is not artless; but one which calls for finish in performance and subtlety in production. This the cast gave it.

Rina Malatrasi was a heaven-sent “ Manon ” with grace and beauty in every movement, delicate, seductive and completely charming. Her voice was clear .and liquid, the kind of operatic soprano one dreams about but does not expect to hear. It was an even performance through out, but the church scene in Act 111, where she coaxes and finally persuades Des Grieux to return to Paris with her, was particularly fine as was also the singing of Rodolfo Moraro as Des Grieux in the same scene.

Moraro had a good tenor voice with a mide range of expressiveness and a part which required lyric dramatic and passionate qualities of tone. Antonio Cassinelli (Compte des Grieux) had some important arias which he sang in a lovely bass voice of good round quality,. The other principal parts were taken quite competently by Leo Piccioli (Lescaut), Enyo Litta (De Bretigny), and Adelio Zagonara (Morfontain).

The producer, Bruno Nofri, made a great success of the gay scene in the gambling house which included a minuet danced in wigs, satin and brocade. The last scene on a road by the sea had a realistic grandeur that caused audible comment from the audience as the curtain went up. The orchestra, with Ghione in command, was again excellent and fully aware of its part in the whole scheme. It is fairly obvious that the conductor considers that, in group scenes such as the Quartet in Act 11, the voices are no more important than single instruments in the orchestra, and so he lays on the weight to build up a climax in which neither orchestral nor vocal tone predominates but both combine. M. M.