Manon facts for kids

Manon is a very famous French opera by Jules Massenet. An opera is like a play where the story is told mostly through singing, with music played by an orchestra. Manon was first performed in Paris, France, on March 19, 1884. It quickly became a huge success and is still one of the most popular French operas today.

The story of Manon is based on an old French book called L'histoire du Chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut. This book was written by a French author known as Abbé Antoine-François Prévost. The people who wrote the words for the opera, called the libretto, were Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille.

What is Manon About?

Manon tells the story of a young woman named Manon and her love for a young man, Chevalier des Grieux. Their love story faces many challenges because of society and their different choices. The opera shows their journey, filled with passion, difficult decisions, and sadness. It explores themes of love, freedom, and the search for happiness.

Who are the Main Characters?

The opera features several important characters, each with a special singing voice.

Manon

Manon is the main character. She is sung by a soprano, which is a female singer with a high voice. Manon is young, beautiful, and loves excitement and luxury.

Chevalier des Grieux

Chevalier des Grieux is the young man who falls deeply in love with Manon. His role is sung by a tenor, which is a male singer with a high voice.

Lescaut

Lescaut is Manon's cousin. He is sung by a baritone, a male singer whose voice is lower than a tenor but higher than a bass.

Comte des Grieux

Comte des Grieux is the father of Chevalier des Grieux. He is sung by a bass, which is a male singer with a very low voice.

Guillot de Morfontaine

Guillot de Morfontaine is an older, wealthy man who is also interested in Manon. He is sung by a tenor.

Monsieur de Brétigny

Monsieur de Brétigny is another rich man who tries to win Manon's attention. He is sung by a baritone.

Images for kids

• 

  "Gathering around a score" by Charles Baude (1853–1935) shows Massenet rehearsing Manon with Sibyl Sanderson in Pierre Loti's drawing room. It was used as the cover of Le Théâtre in July 1889.

• 

  Dmitri Smirnov as Le Chevalier des Grieux (1909, by Aleksandr Golovin)

• 

  American soprano Sibyl Sanderson as Manon in 1888

See also

In Spanish: Manon para niños