Monday, March 22, 2010

The Rake's Progress, by Igor Stravinsky

He who leads a life of vice must pay dearly for his actions.

One who know story about Stravinsky, can't believe that a naive moral like this is actually been inspirational moment for this opera. The story goes Stravinsky seen paintings by William Hogarth... and voilà!

Libretto in a nutshell: Tom Rakewell, a virtuoso and young man who inherits great fortune; he promises his girlfriend that they will soon to be married, however rich man begins to use "spoils of war" and ends up in brothel... along the way he incurs large debts, steals, has been arrested.... marries an old and ugly, but reach women... he gambling away her fortune... and ends up... well... in a madhouse.

This is actually a neo-classical opera. Something completely different from what I have seen and heard before. Stravinsky him self consider it as "an end of 20th century music".


A perfect scenography at one of the high point of the opera...


Anne Trulove at Act II. Yes, her name is important and she is one of the most touching figure in operatic "literature".

One-off experience with all strangeness and absurdity of Stravinsky. From reference to Faust (Nick Shadow) to Don Juan (Tom Rakewell).

Must see, especially after a pleasant dinner at SALT.

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