Boulevard Solitude
Libretto by Grete Weil
Scenario by Walter Jockisch
(English by Norman Platt)
Year of composition 1951
Duration 82 minutes
World premiere
World premiere 17. february 1952
Hannover · Landestheater
Production Walter Jockisch
Choreography Otto Krüger
Stage and costume design Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Conductor Johannes Schüler
Comment
In 1974 Jean-Pierre Ponnelle and Grete Weil made some changes to the libretto for a production at the Bayerische Staatsoper. These amendments were incorporated by the pub- lishers into the hire material and the new editions of the piano reduction and libretto. For a production by the Hessischer Rundfunk in 1952, I extended Pantomime No. 6 (at the end of the 2nd scene) with an aria. This aria is available on request from the publishers. I used it in my 1954 productions of “Boulevard” in Naples and Rome.
Hans Werner Henze
Cast
Manon Lescaut | soprano leggero | |
Armand des Grieux | tenore lirico | a student |
Lilaque père | tenore buffo | a wealthy cavalier |
Lescaut | baritono lirico | Manon’s brother |
Francis | baritono | a friend of Armand |
Lilaque fils | basso | |
danzatori | two cocaine addicts | |
ballerino | cigarette boy | |
ballerina | flower girl | |
danzatori e mimi | paper boys, beggars, tarts, policemen, male and female students, travellers |
Instrumentation
2 Flauti | 2° anche Ottavino |
1 Oboe | |
1 Corno inglese | |
1 Clarinetto | |
1 Clarinetto basso | |
2 Fagotti | |
4 Corni | |
4 Trombe jazz | |
3 Tromboni | |
1 Tuba | |
Timpani | |
Percussione | Triangolo |
Arpa | |
Pianoforte | |
Mandolino | |
Archi |