JULES MASSENET (1842-1912): Le Portrait de Manon, HECTOR BERLIOZ (1803-1869): Les Nuits d'été.

Description: Massenet wrote this one-act sequel to his most famous opera at the suggestion of the poet and playwright Georges Boyer, who wrote the libretto, in 1892. Des Grieux has become a baritone, still mourning his lost Manon, who is confronted with the adolescent passion of his nephew (a trouser role for the mezzo) and a girl brought up by an old friend of his. The sentiments here are tender and touching rather than tragic and wrenching; there is an off-stage chorus and the light orchestration makes constant references to themes from the original opera. A light and refreshing 45 minutes... French-English texts. ZhengZhong Zhou (baritone), Hanna Hipp (mezzo), Pablo Bemsch (tenor), Susana Gaspar (soprano), Southbank Sinfonia;  Geoffrey Paterson, Volker Krafft (Berlioz).