Antonia pappano conducts the royal opera house chorus and orchestra in this production of puccinis work based on the 1731 short novel by abb prvost soprano kristine opolais portrays the title character who runs away with student des grieux jonas kaufmann after the two fall in love but manon is tempted by the life of luxury offered to her by the wealthy geronte maurizio muraro the cast also includes benjamin hulett and christopher maltman