Ruth Meints on The Rake's Progress
Going into this opera experience, I had zero previous knowledge of the opera The Rake’s Progress. I had some preconceived notions about what the music might be like, knowing that Igor Stravinsky was the composer. His other provocative works, like Rite of Spring, Petroushka, and Firebird Suite, gave the expectation of an intense musical score with rhythmic drive and emotional nuance. And it was definitely that! The orchestra was spectacular under the direction of Steven White. A special “shout out” to the brass moments throughout the opera: trumpet solos, impressive French horn passages, and difficult, repetitive rhythmic brass moments. The dark introduction in the lower strings that begins the final scene is sensational, too. The overall execution of this challenging score by the orchestra was so beautiful and provided the singers with a solid but intricate underpinning to their performances.
The singing was also phenomenal. Each lead singer developed their character so well. They artfully sang incredibly difficult lyric lines with a very unique libretto. The libretto was very dense with lots of interesting vocabulary. I cannot imagine memorizing these parts: lots of words and very unusual musical settings. What an incredible cast! Margaret Gawrysiak as Baba the Turk was hilarious! This role must be one of the most bizarre parts out there for an opera singer. It includes sitting in a box and under a blanket for long periods of time, not to mention, very unusual costuming and makeup. She was remarkable!
The use of the chorus throughout the work was really stunning, too. With scenes depicting the nightlife of London, a public auction, and even the voices inside Tom’s head, they brought such a fanciful aspect to the fable. I enjoyed their unexpected appearances from surprise spaces within the set! Their choreography and costuming showed the progressive degradation of the main character, as the colors faded from the purity of pastels in the springtime to black, white, and gray in a much more colorless landscape.
From the first moment in the theater (noted in the main curtain), there was a topsy-turvy feeling to the colors and patterns. Things were going to get turned upside down! As the Shadow convinces Tom Rakewell to continuously compromise, the story presents all of the seven deadly sins in some manner: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride, showing the tragedy of falling prey to these follies. At one point, the Shadow proclaims to Tom that freedom is the ability to ignore the two slaveries of conscience and appetite. Tom Rakewell struggles with the idea of whether a person has any control over their destiny or if life is the result of fate alone. When we first meet Tom Rakewell, in his naivete, he decides to leave everything to fate. But even though fate deals him a prosperous hand, the only thing that brings true happiness is unconditional love offered through the continuous presence of Anne. At the dramatic end, the Shadow states a new perspective on life by stating a man can will his choice as destiny. Even at the end, robbed of a sound mind, Tom is still hungering for the unconditional love of Venus. I found this opera very thought-provoking and descriptive of the choices we all make throughout our lives. What restrictions will we put on ourselves in order to pursue the unconditional love we are wired to want? Are we aware of the forces that are at work to distract us from experiencing unconditional love?