Analysis and summary of "Manon Lescaut" by G. Puccini

In 1731, the Abbot Prevost wrote a short love affair, as it turned out, for all time. It was called "The History of the Chevalier de Grier and Manon Lescaut." It described the love of a frivolous, windy beauty and a dignified young man devoted to her with all her heart. Details were scandalous, and the novel was banned. But he was read in the lists. And after processing, when the author removed the juicy details, it was published in twenty years.

The content of the novel

The story is conducted on behalf of the unfortunate de Grier. He is young and inexperienced, but during his studies he acquires a faithful friend, whose name is Tiberge. This well-bred and poor young man after the study took a spiritual order. De Grier himself intends after the training to return to his parents and live as it should be to his high descent. But he meets a young beauty, which parents want to send to the monastery. Young people instantly fall in love with each other, go to Paris and, not married, live together. So we begin to expound a brief summary of "Manon Lescaut".

First betrayal

De Grier completely lost his head from the love of the girl and forgot about the loving his parents. But one day, returning to his beauty, he finds it in the company of a well-known wealthy farmer. Treason stunned the seventeen-year-old boy. This is the continuation of this story (a summary of "Manon Lescaut"). And then the footmen of his father arrived and took him home. Half a year he, grieving, suffers from love and jealousy, then believing that Manon loves him, then thinking that she forgot him. Thiberg arrives and persuades the gentleman to begin his theology studies. So De Grier goes back to Paris. He studies hard at the Sorbonne and almost forgets the captivating image.

The Return of Manon

She is already 18 years old, and she has become even more beautiful than she was. The girl begs to forgive her, for she loves and does not live without de Grier. Of course, the cavalier forgets theology and all the good plans and leaves with his charmer in a small village near Paris.

We continue to present a brief summary. Manon Lesko brought the money. She collected them for two years. But there was a fire, and everything burned down. The cheat introduces de Grier to his brother, and he leads the young man to a gambling house. Wins exceed expectations, and the couple again begins life in Paris on a grand scale. But here they were robbed by servants.

The new treason

Brother Manon introduces her to the wealthy gentleman who is ready to take her up for maintenance. But in the head of the beauty another plan is born, which eventually leads the unfortunate gentleman to prison, and Manon - to the shelter for corrupt women.

End of the story

After a series of betrayals and vicissitudes, mademoiselle is sent as a fallen woman to America. A faithful and faithful gentleman follows her. In New Orleans they are going to marry. But the Governor's son drew attention to her. De Greeud kills him in a duel. Lovers run, but Manon falls ill and dies. Before her death, she says that she never loved anyone, except de Grier. The young man is completely killed by the death of his beloved and is himself close to a similar end. But then faithful Tiberge arrives and takes the unfortunate man to France. His father died, and he meets only one soul, his brother. This concludes with a very brief summary of Manon Lescaut.

Opera by G. Puccini

Two years of work on the libretto and a year on the opera - and the composer puts his masterpiece in Turin in 1893. "Manon Lescaut", Puccini's opera, was immediately recognized by the public and criticized. The author was 35 years old, and from this time on all his works cause admiration.

Below, the libretto of the opera Manon Lescaut will be presented. A summary of the four actions will show that the plot of the opera in details differs from the novel of the Abbot Prevost.

"Manon Lescaut", J. Puccini: summary

The first action begins in Amiens, at the noisy, full of gay people of the square. Appears young, noble, but poor young man De Grieux. He is accompanied by a friend Edmond, who sings a frivolous madrigal about the joys of love and youth. Over De Grieux, who has never been in love, friends make fun of. But on the square there is a carriage, from which comes the charming fifteen-year-old Manon, accompanied by a teenage brother and an old farmer Geront. During the time of the joint trip, he decided to steal a young beauty and prepare for this crew. In the meantime, De Grier, who was stunned to see Manon, nevertheless comes to meet her. Young people agree to meet. De Grieux is in love in earnest. His aria, full of raptures, tells of the charm of Manon: "Right, she is charming" (this aria can often be heard in concert performance).

Edmond tells De Grier about the plans of the old Geront. When young people meet, the girl performs the aria "You see, I'm faithful to the word"; The young man quickly puts her in the carriage that Geront ordered, and takes him to Paris. A brother playing card games with enthusiasm, calmly and cynically tells the farmer that the poor De Grie will soon get tired of his sister, who loves dresses and entertainment.

The second action

The curtain rises, and we find ourselves in the rich boudoir of Manon. She is surrounded by servants who help her dress and brush her hair. Mademoiselle Lesco could not stand the poor life with De Grier, and now it contains the rich old Geront. A brother comes and admires the luxury that surrounds his sister. In his aria, he glorifies this rich life, which he admires. But in response, Manon says in E flat major about his longing for De Grier. She is not pleased with madrigal (this is the stylization of the pastoral), which the hated old man composed for her. Heron enters with friends and a dance teacher. Everyone is fascinated by her, and she cute is the motive of the minuet. Finally everyone leaves, and De Grieux appears. "You, beloved, you," Manon does not believe in his eyes. They reproach each other, but they also ardently assure that their love is eternal. And here is Geront.

At first he is ironic, but then, when the beauty in the mirror shows him his old vile face, Geront, full of anger, decides to take revenge. And lovers agree to escape. A brother comes and says that they need to hurry, because Geront leads the guards here to arrest Manon for a dissolute life. She's going too long, and the guard comes. She is arrested and taken away, despite all the despair of De Grier.

Before you - a brief retelling of the content of "Manon Lescot".

The third action

It starts with a short and frightening intermezzo. This drama is the way to Le Havre. The curtain rises. On the square in the early morning are Brother Manon and De Grieux. They think how to get the girl out of the transit prison. The brother proposes to bribe the guards. At the window, from behind the lattice, the unhappy Manon looks out. She, along with other fallen women, is preparing to be sent to America by ship. All her hopes are connected with De Grieux: "Darling, you will save me." But all the women, chained in chains, are taken to the square. In the meantime, read the list of those who will now be sent overseas. The crowd on the square discusses this, to someone it sympathizes, someone condemns. Manon should be put on a ship. She says good-bye to her beloved and asks him to return home. De Grieux begs the captain to take him with him to be near his beloved. There is a tear in his voice. The captain is touched by his entreaties and allows him to rise. Running, De Grieux runs up the ladder and falls into the arms of the beloved. The composer skillfully interlaced all the musical lines, and they turned into a single scene filled with dynamics.

Step Four

America. Manon and De Grier in the desert. They fled the city, because the son of the colony chief decided to take possession of the young beauty, and De Grier killed the rapist. The evening is coming down, the night is coming. They are both exhausted. There is no shelter, no food, no drinking. Manon can go only as long as it is supported by De Grier. But soon she falls into a faint of De Grier, crying for fear of her, trying to bring Manon to life. When she comes to her senses and sees her beloved in tears, she says that his tears burn her heart. She asks for a drink. De Grier, hesitating, goes to search for water. He has a hard time: how will Manon stand alone? And the unhappy girl, left alone, begins to rave. She sends curses to her beauty, which brought them both to such a nightmare. Manon is afraid of death, she is weakening and weakening. De Grier returned. He did not find anything.

Manon asks him to hug her. She wants, if she gets to die, then only in his arms. The girl again tells the knight that she loves him, and this love will never die. De Grie, sobbing, is holding a dead girlfriend. This concludes "Manon Lescaut." Puccini's opera is quite different from the literary original and the opera Massenet.

Author's music

First, the librettists, at the request of the author, shortened the original text, making the plot a tense spring. Part of the episodes of the opera is filled with emotional uplift and melodic brilliance. This tension of the soul is punctuated with a more peaceful development of music. In his opera duets, filled with feeling, are replaced by passionate arioso of cavalier De Grieux and penetrating into the soul of complaints of Manon. The fourth act is all built as one big duo.

The first recognized opera by G. Puccini is the opera "Manon Lescaut", the summary of which we have examined.