The famous novel by Abbé Prévost (Prévost d’Exiles, 1697-1763), Histoire du chevalier Des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut was published in 1733 and because it portrayed a love affair that violated public morality and so was to be condemned by society, the book was banned and burnt. However, of all Prévost’s works, it was Manon Lescaut that inspired a number of composers in the 19th century and filmmakers in the 20th century.
Giacomo Puccini achieved his first real success with the première of Manon Lescaut (1893). His following operas, about the fate of women – La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly – still represent a big challenge for singers, directors and stage designers alike. After a highly successful Tosca, Sergei Masloboischikov (1957), Kiev-born painter, film and theatre director has created a sensitively lyrical and visually original performance.