NEW YORK—Sometimes in the opera house, everything clicks. The stars were certainly aligned for the current production of Massenet’s “Manon” at the Metropolitan Opera. The audience sensed right from the beginning that it was experiencing something special, even in a house that regularly presents the world’s leading singers.
The character of Manon is quite demanding, requiring a singer-actress to make the transition from innocent teenager to young lover to worldly courtesan/temptress and finally dying prisoner. German soprano Diana Damrau made all of these shifts credible and, as one might expect, her singing was glorious.
As her lover, tenor Vittorio Grigolo was also in his element. With his matinee idol looks and opulent tone, he was visually and vocally ideal for the part of des Grieux.
