Manon Lescaut

The love, longing, despair, and tragedy in Puccini’s early score that made this opera his first big success are personified by a remarkable cast and conductor in this touching performance. Jussi Björling is the young des Grieux in love with the title heroine. The entrancing Licia Albanese plays the object of his affection, and conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos pulls out all the emotional and dramatic stops in his exploration of Puccini’s genius.