| Boulevard Solitude | |
|---|---|
| Lyrisches Drama byHans Werner Henze | |
 The composer in 1960 | |
| Librettist | Grete Weil |
| Language | German |
| Based on | Abbé Prévost'sManon Lescaut |
| Premiere | |
Boulevard Solitude is aLyrisches Drama (lyric drama) or opera in one act byHans Werner Henze to a German libretto byGrete Weil after the play byWalter Jockisch, in its turn a modern retelling ofAbbé Prévost's 1731 novelManon Lescaut. The piece is a reworking of the Manon Lescaut story, already adapted operatically byAuber,Massenet andPuccini, and here relocated to Paris afterWorld War II where, as is noted in Grove, the focus of the story moves away from Manon and towards Armand des Grieux.[1] It became Henze's first fully-fledged opera.[1] The work stands out for its strongjazz influences, from a composer who had hitherto been associated withtwelve-tone technique.
The premiere was given on 17 February 1952, at theLandestheater Hannover.
Although it never became part of the core operatic repertoire,Boulevard Solitude continued to receive performances after the premiere. It was given in both Naples and Rome in 1954 and it received its UK premiere in London by theNew Opera Company atSadler's Wells in 1962 where the cast includedPeter Glossop andApril Cantelo.[1] The first performance in the United States was at theSanta Fe Opera in 1967.
The opera continues to be performed and is popular with audiences, with a London revival in 2001 going on to sell heavily despite much negative critical reception and attacks from thetabloid press.[2] A new production byWelsh National Opera in 2014 was also well received.[3]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast,[4] 17 February 1952 Conductor:Johannes Schüler |
|---|---|---|
| Manon Lescaut | highsoprano | Sigrid Klaus |
| Armand des Grieux,a student | lyrictenor | Walter Buckow |
| Lescaut,Manon's brother | baritone | |
| Francis,Armand's friend | baritone | |
| Lilaque,père, a rich old gentleman | high buffo tenor | |
| Lilaque,fils | baritone | |
| A prostitute | dancer | |
| Servant to Lilaque,fils | mime | |
| Two drug addicts | dancers | |
| A cigarette boy | dancer | |
| Newspaper sellers, beggars, whores, police, students, travellers | ||
The student Armand des Grieux meets a young woman by the name of Manon Lescaut, who is being brought to boarding school in Lausanne by her brother. Armand instantly falls in love with Manon, and the two run off to Paris together.
The two live together happily, although in poverty, in an attic room. Armand has been cut off by his father on account of his dissolute lifestyle, and is forced to ask his friend Francis for money. However, Manon's brother reappears during Armand's absence and convinces her to visit an admirer of hers, the wealthy older man Lilaque Sr.
Manon becomes Lilaque Sr.'s mistress, but remains in love with Armand. Her brother appears and begs her for money. When she refuses him saying that she has none, he breaks into Lilaque Sr.'s safe. However Lilaque discovers them and evicts Manon.
Sometime later, Armand, Francis, and some other students are studying the work of the Roman poetCatullus. Armand is still in love with Manon but this love is fading. Francis tells Armand about Manon's robbing Lilaque and her expulsion from his house, but Armand doesn't believe it. Francis leaves angrily and Manon enters. Manon and Armand read a poem that revives their love.
Manon and Armand are together again. Armand is addicted to drugs in order to try to forget the past. Lescaut (Manon's brother) brings himcocaine in a bar and asks for Manon, who he wishes toprocure for Lilaque Jr. When Manon arrives Armand gets angry with Lescaut and Lalique Jr. Manon tries to calm him and then leaves with the two men. Armand receives the message that Manon wishes to see him the next day, when Lilaque leaves. Armand is left confused.
Armand and Manon are together in Lilaque Jr.'s bedroom. Manon is satisfied with the new situation of being under the protection of Lilaque Jr. but Armand is nostalgic for the past in which he still lives. Lescaut appears and warns Armand that he should leave before the servants find him. Armand cuts a picture out of its frame in order to sell it, but is discovered by a servant who reports the incident to Lilaque Sr. who calls the police. Lescaut fights with Lilaque Sr. until Manon shoots the old man with arevolver that had been pressed into her hand by her brother. As Lescaut and Armand flee, Manon is arrested.
Armand arrives hoping to see his former lover before she is imprisoned. The scene ends with musical numbers from the life of the couple.
Notes
Sources
| Operas |
|
|---|---|
| Ballet |
|
| Symphonies | |
| Film scores | |
| Other works |
|
| Related | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
