Following the artistic and commercial success of their last DVD\nproject, La Traviata from the 2005 Salzburg Festival, opera\nsuperstars Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón bring their combined\ntalents to Jules Massenet’s Manon. Netrebko was born to play the\ntitle role: her voice and body language capturing the fluctuating\npersonality of the complex Manon, one minute girlish, the next\nintrospective. “She is a real stage animal, constantly reacting to\nwhat is happening around her”, wrote Opera of her performance.\nVillazón is compelling as Des Grieux, expressing all the burning\npassion of the doomed lover in his burnished, supple tenor.

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This is a production with a distinct Hollywood touch: first-time\nopera director Vincent Paterson has previously worked with Madonna,\nMichael Jackson and Paul McCartney and staged several Broadway\nmusicals. He has already enjoyed great success with his first\nclassical DVD project for DG: The Woman – The Voice featuring Anna\nNetrebko.

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Given his show-business background, Paterson interprets Manon as\na Hollywood cinematic tale for the opera stage with Massenet’s\ncolourful music as a kind of soundtrack. The press raved about the\nopera event of the year in Berlin, while the live public screening\nof one of the performances in the square in front of the opera\nhouse attracted an audience of more than 20,000 people. Musically,\nthe production is equally accomplished.

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This is a Manon that will appeal across the spectrum: to lovers\nof opera, movies and Hollywood. A glittering production filled with\nbeautiful people with gorgeous voices!

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Additional features: Produced in HD, length 170 min., to be\nreleased in NTSC 16:9 widescreen; audio is in 5.1 DTS surround\nsound & PCM stereo. Bonus: “The Making of Manon” (20 min., in\nstereo sound only).

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Massenet: Manon

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Anna Netrebko (Manon), Rolando Villazón (Des Grieux), Alfredo\nDaza (Lescaut), Christof Fischesser (Le Comte des Grieux), Rémy\nCorazza (Guillot de Morfontaine), Arttu Kataja (De Brétigny), Hanan\nAlattar (Poussette)

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Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim (conductor) & Vincent\nPaterson (director)

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DVD

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