L'histoire de Manon

L'histoire de Manon is a ballet comprising the music of Jules Massenet, arranged and partially orchestrated by British composer Leighton Lucas, re-orchestrated entirely by conductor Martin Yates in 2011. The piece was first presented by The Royal Ballet in London in 1974, with choreography by Sir Kenneth MacMillan and it continues to be recognised internationally as the company's signature ballet. Ironically, the ballet contains none of the music from Massenet's opera Manon, with which it shares an almost identical story. The music compiled by Lucas is drawn from other works by Massenet, including thirteen operas and two oratorios as well as his orchestral suites, various songs and piano works. The ballet is a mainstay of the modern repertoire, generally referred to as simply Manon.

There is a 1985 commercial recording available, conducted by Massenet champion Richard Bonynge on the Decca label, as well as three DVD releases: a 1982 Royal Ballet production and a 2000 Australian Ballet production, both from Kultur Video, and a 2009 Royal Ballet production released on the Decca label.