As part of their 2024 Spring opera season, English Touring Opera staged Igor Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress at the Hackney Empire.
Conceived later on in Stravinski’s life, when he was living in America, The Rake’s Progress was the his one and only full-length opera. Drawing inspiration from a William Hogarth exhibition he had visited in Chicago, he got writing in 1947 and by the time it premiered in Venice, it was 1951, nearly three decades after the Rite of Spring (1913) had caused a riot at its premiere at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.
As I entered the beautiful Hackney music hall, I wondered what sort of opera I was about to see; something akin to a riotous Rite of Spring , or a more traditional 18th century opera, in keeping with William Hogarth’s 18th century morality tale?
In fact The Rake’s Progress is neither wholly radical or totally traditional. It’s much more nuanced. Stravinsky, as he worked on it, decided to use the conventions of eighteenth opera, modelled on Mozart’s famous operas like Cose Fan Tutte. And so you hear the harpsichord playing in the recitative passages and beautiful arias, duets, and trios – and some are really ravishing. But the writing is full of surprises. The soprano for example, in the role of Anne Truelove, sings in Mozartian or Italian eighteenth century fashion, a virtuosic performance with trills, which suddenly break or lead to nowhere – marvellous!
There was a disappointment on the night of ETO’s production. Frederick Jones in the role of Tom Rakewell was recovering from illness and only sang the first Act. However it was long enough to appreciate the youth and vitality in his pleasing tenor. The remaining two acts, Brenton Spiteri took over the singing with aplomb from the wing. His tenor had a similar timbre which helped with the continuity. During the tour, all will be resolved.
The vocals were strong in this production. Nazan Fikret as Anne Trulove particularly impressed with her dexterous and versatile soprano. She had excellent range. Meanwhile Lauren Young hogged the spotlight with her Baba, the bearded woman, making her entry proudly atop her white horse (a large plastic horse see photo). Her Mezzo was both regal and warm. Baba is a wonderful personality in this opera – a lover of men but also very sympathetic, and a champion of women, especially to Anne Truelove. Jerome Knox put in a convincing performance as Nick Shadow, and Trevor Eliot Bowes and Masimba Ushe, singing Keeper, distinguished themselves in the bass department.
The staging was playful, imaginative, at times outlandish, a must in opera, and the costumes sumptuous. The May pole with the ensemble wearing unsettling animal masks – strange hares, horned animals, seemed almost Alice in Wonderland in mood, but this is Rakes Progress and there are themes of madness, stupidity and devilment.
And of course there is the English libretto written by WH Auden and his collaborator Chester Kallman which I need to go back to – poetic as you would imagine.
If you get the chance to see this on tour around Britain – go!
KH
ARTMUSELONDON 