Giacomo Puccini’s third opera, Manon Lescaut premiered in Turin in 1893, and marked the beginning of the composer’s international career. Since then, Turin’s Teatro Regio remains an important stage for this passionate opera, which requires skilled singer actors with adequate vocal capacity, and a conductor who can highlight the subtleties of the orchestral score.

The production that ended last Sunday happily offered all this, with soprano María José Siri in the title role, and tenor Gregory Kunde as her unhappy lover Renato Des Grieux. Both singers proved especially at home in the more dramatic parts of the score than in its lighter parts.

Kunde, a technically very well prepared singer, mastered all parts of the score, but his voice sounded somewhat heavy in the initial aria ‘Fra voi belle’, and his attitude was not as careless as it is intended to be. He then was more at ease when expressing Des Grieux’ passion for Manon, and at his best in the more dramatic parts, as in the second act with his reproach ‘Ah, Manon, mi tradisce’ and in the third act with ‘Pazzo son’, even though his tendency is to sing everything forte, while some piani would have not been out of place.

Siri also gave life to a very dramatic Manon, at her best in ‘Sola, perduta, abbandonata’ at the opening of the fourth act. She sounded somewhat less compelling when portraying a careless young girl, as though a premonition of tragedy was always in her mind.

Bass Carlo Lepore as Geronte di Ravoir and baritone Dalibor Jenis as Lescaut were compelling in their roles.

The production, directed by Vittorio Borrelli, featured traditional scenery by Thierry Flamand and rich costumes by Christian Gasc, and appealed to the quite traditional audience of the Sunday matinee. In the first act, a group of students fill the court of the tavern where Manon and her brother plan to spend the night. Manon’s luxurious bedroom offers the setting for the second scene, with musicians and dancers alternating on the forestage. When Des Gruieux comes in, he and Manon fall on the floor frantically kissing, but soon to be interrupted by Lescaut’s warning. On the right side, Geronte and the officers come and take away the greedy Manon, who cannot leave her jewels. The third act opens on the foggy harbor of Les Havres, where the prostitutes are carried on the ship that will take them to the New World. Finally, a sandy desert hosts Manon’s despair and death.

Maestro Gianandrea Noseda was making his debut with this opera, which he had studied in his conservatory years, but had never conducted. He paid great care to all details of the intense, highly elaborated score. His interpretation will grow with time, but this was certainly an outstanding debut.

The audience filled the house and paid several tributes of applause to the singers during the performance, with great enthusiasm at the final curtain calls.