By Allan Koznin [NY Time 22 September 2005]

The Metropolitan Opera's current production of Massenet's "Manon" has appeared only fleetingly, like some exotic bird with an odd migratory path. After its initial run in 1987, Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's staging was sent into storage for a decade, turning up again in 1997 and 2001. It returned to the Met on Tuesday evening, with Renée Fleming in the title role and Marcelo Álvarez as the Chevalier des Grieux.