Manon Lescaut, Torre del Lago, 2025

 

Before the beginning of the final act, Maria José Siri unfortunately suffered an accident near the monumental torso conceived by Igor Mitoraj for the concluding set design. After prompt medical attention and an unscheduled pause of approximately fifteen minutes, the soprano nevertheless chose to complete the performance seated. Greeted by a thunderous ovation, Maria José Siri delivered a deeply intense interpretation of the grand duet that brings Manon Lescaut to its close, alongside Luciano Ganci, adapting Daniele De Plano’s staging to the unforeseen circumstances: a scene of harrowing drama that culminates in the soprano’s aria “Sola, perduta, abbandonata” and ultimately in her death in the American desert.
The Puccini Festival Foundation, joined by its audience, expresses its profound gratitude to Maria José Siri for the generosity of spirit and invaluable commitment with which she brought the evening’s performance to a triumphant close.
Lucca in diretta (also published by Eco Italiano, Versilia Post)

Maria José Siri suffered a fall shortly before the final act of Manon Lescaut, yet she never left the stage. The Uruguayan soprano, protagonist of Puccini’s opera performed on Saturday evening at the Gran Teatro all’Aperto in Torre del Lago, as part of the 71st Puccini Festival, chose to continue the performance seated, transforming an unforeseen incident into a gesture of extraordinary artistic resilience. Visibly moved by her determination, the audience responded with a long and heartfelt ovation.
The accident occurred during a scene change, near the imposing bronze torso that dominates the majestic set designed by Igor Mitoraj. Just minutes before the fourth act was to begin, Siri stumbled and sustained a contusion, requiring medical assistance and an unscheduled pause of roughly fifteen minutes. Despite the pain and limited mobility, the artist decided to remain on stage, working with director Daniele De Plano to adapt the opera’s final scenes in order to bring the performance to a safe and meaningful close.
Seated, yet fully commanding the stage, Siri delivered an intense final act alongside Luciano Ganci (Des Grieux), culminating in the heartrending aria “Sola, perduta, abbandonata.” A Manon wounded and exhausted beyond the confines of theatrical fiction, whose death in the American desert gained an even deeper authenticity and emotional weight.
At the conclusion of the performance, the Puccini Festival Foundation publicly expressed its gratitude to Maria José Siri, describing her choice as “an act of generosity and love for the theatre” that left an indelible mark on this year’s edition of the Festival. An unplanned finale, but perhaps, for that very reason, even more powerful.
Adnkronos (also published by Sanremonews.it, Virgilio and CremaOggi)

During the performance, a minor mishap in the course of the scene change between the third and fourth acts involved the leading soprano, Maria José Siri. Yet the unforeseen event was handled with utmost professionalism, requiring only a brief interruption before the performance resumed and concluded with the well-deserved final ovation.
Virgilio

An emotionally charged prelude to the evening had already taken place earlier in the day, during the cast’s visit to Puccini’s villa-mausoleum. For the first time ever, in the very room where the Maestro composed, the visibly moved soprano sang a Puccini aria, together with her stage partner Luciano Ganci. It was an intimate and moving moment that gifted the audience with unforgettable emotions.
During the performance, a minor accident during the scene change between the third and fourth acts involved the leading soprano, Maria José Siri. The unforeseen incident was handled with professionalism, requiring only a brief interruption before the opera resumed, ultimately earning the final ovation it so richly deserved.
NoiTV

A minor onstage incident occurred on Saturday evening during the opening night of Manon Lescaut at the Puccini Festival. Soprano Maria José Siri suffered a fall just before the final act, yet she chose not to leave the stage. The Uruguayan artist decided to continue the performance seated, transforming an unexpected setback into a powerful display of extraordinary artistic resilience. The audience, visibly moved by her dedication, responded with a long and heartfelt ovation.
The incident took place during a scene change, near the monumental bronze torso that dominates the striking set designed by Igor Mitoraj. Just moments before the beginning of Act IV, Siri stumbled and sustained a contusion that required medical attention and a pause of approximately fifteen minutes. Despite the pain and reduced mobility, she remained on stage, working together with director Daniele De Plano to adapt the opera’s conclusion in a way that ensured both safety and dramatic integrity.
Seated yet fully in command of the stage, Siri delivered a profoundly intense final act alongside Luciano Ganci (Des Grieux), culminating in the heartrending aria “Sola, perduta, abbandonata.” 
A Manon not only wounded and exhausted within the fiction of the opera, but visibly so in reality, lending an added layer of authenticity and tragic weight to the heroine’s death in the American desert.
La Nazione

Thanks also to the “stoic” Maria José Siri, the soprano who, despite sustaining an injury, chose to carry on and complete the performance, seated.
A conclusion imbued with a rare sense of artistic generosity, in a week already marred by challenging weather conditions...
Il Tirreno

Soprano Maria José Siri was getting into position on top of the torso for the last act when she slipped. After first aid and an unscheduled fifteen-minute break, the soprano decided to finish the opera seated in front of the sculpture.
Greeted by thunderous applause, Maria Josè Siri went on to sing the final duet with Luciano Ganci, adapting Daniele De Plano’s staging as they went along.
Gramilano (also published by Slipped Disc)

...At the premiere, Maria José Siri, was injured during a scene change and was forced to perform the opera’s conclusion seated on a cube hastily positioned at center stage. Her professionalism in completing the performance with poise and without any vocal compromise must, however, be duly praised.
Siri’s Manon is by now well established: she tackles the demanding role with apparent ease, supported by a rich instrument and secure top notes.
Connessi all’opera

According to Gramilano, “soprano Maria José Siri was getting into position on top of the torso for the last act when she slipped. After first aid and an unscheduled fifteen-minute break, the soprano decided to finish the opera seated in front of the sculpture.”
At the end of the performance Siri was greeted by thunderous applause.
OperaWire

But it was the fourth act, so often the subject of critical debate, that revealed an unexpectedly profound dimension, thanks to the performance of soprano Maria José Siri, last night.
Making her debut at the Puccini Festival, Siri shaped a Manon of remarkable depth, her voice displayed a supple versatility: tender and caressing in the “trine” of Act II, yet capable of searing dramatic force in the opera’s harrowing conclusion.
Shortly before the final scene, struck by a physical mishap, she chose to continue singing while seated, a circumstance that might have constrained the theatrical impact, but instead became an unforeseen source of dramatic power.
The great aria “Sola, perduta, abbandonata” thus emerged as a monologue of disarming intensity and inwardness, where the suspension of external action and the fullness of sound of Puccini’s orchestration converged into a kind of ritualized stillness.
What resulted was a stark evocation of inner desolation, a silence charged with emotion that allowed the audience to fully feel Manon’s despair.
The ovation that followed sealed a performance of extraordinary artistic courage and emotional truth.
Gli Amici della Musica

...Maria José Siri... delivers her vocal lines with an assurance that borders on the inevitable: each note not only impeccably placed, but alive with expressive purpose. Her singing is sculpted with a refined sense of phrasing and the articulation is shaped by thoughtful inflection.
Her rendition of “Sola, perduta, abbandonata” was of the highest caliber: a moment of rare interpretative intensity, crowned, and rightly so, by a thunderous mid-scene ovation.
Le Salon Musical