Giacomo Puccini

Manon Lescaut: Act III: Intermezzo

Manon Lescaut, the third opera and first notable success of Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), took shape between 1889 and 1892. Five different writers worked on its libretto. The Teatro Regio in Turin saw its first performance on February 1, 1893. The Intermezzo in Act 3, according to opera scholar Julian Budden, bears the unmistakable influence of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. Creating a dark and brooding atmosphere, it prepares the drama for the grim events of Manon's imprisonment and her deportation to Louisiana, where she will be eternally separated from Des Grieux. Instrumentation: 3(3rd dPicc).2+EH.2+BCl.2: 4.3.3.1: Timp.Perc(1): Hp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set). Reprint edition.