Who Wrote Music for Ballet Manon?

Ballet

Manon is a ballet composed by Jules Massenet to a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille. The ballet is based on the 1731 novel L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by Abbé Prévost. It was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on January 19, 1884, with choreography by Sir Kenneth MacMillan.

The story of Manon follows the relationship between the titular character, Manon Lescaut, and her lover Chevalier des Grieux. The ballet begins with Manon being sold into an arranged marriage with a wealthy older man.

She is then seduced and abandoned by des Grieux and forced to flee with him to Paris where they become involved in a life of crime and prostitution. Eventually, she is arrested and sentenced to deportation to Louisiana, where she dies of exhaustion as she is about to be reunited with her lover.

Jules Massenet composed the music for Manon. He was born in Montaud, France on May 12, 1842.

He studied at the Paris Conservatoire and became known for his operas and ballets which were highly romanticized musical adaptations of literary works and plays. His works also incorporated elements of folk music from various regions in France. His most famous works include Thaïs (1894) and Werther (1892).

Massenet’s score for Manon was praised for its lush Romanticism that perfectly suited the tragic story of love lost between two star-crossed lovers. His music incorporates elements from various genres including Baroque, Classical, Romantic, operatic and even jazz idioms. It has been praised for its delicate beauty as well as its powerful emotional impact that moves audiences to tears even today.

Conclusion: In conclusion, Jules Massenet wrote the music for Manon, an opera-ballet based on Abbe Prevost’s novel “L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut”. Massenet’s score incorporated elements from various genres including Baroque, Classical, Romantic, operatic and even jazz idioms while still maintaining its own unique style that has been praised for its delicate beauty as well as its powerful emotional impact.