The Rake's Progress
November 12, 17, 19, and 21, 2009, at 8 pm
Matinée November 14 at 3 pm
The Music
I chose to cast "The Rake" in the mould of an eighteenth-century "number" opera, one in which the dramatic progress depends on the succession of separate pieces – recitatives and arias, duets, trios, choruses, instrumental interludes . . . Having chosen a period-piece subject, I decided – naturally, as it seemed to me – to assume the conventions of the period as well.
Igor Stravinsky
The Rake's Progress represents the culmination of Stravinsky's neo-classical period – it's a throwback to Mozartean structure, an opera of formally constructed arias, recitatives and choruses. It uses a small chamber orchestra and even calls for a harpsichord to provide recitativo secco (to quite unnerving effect in the graveyard scene). But the music retains its 20th century twist; it's pure Stravinsky, full of his idiosyncratic spiky rhythms and unexpected lyricism.
As musicologist Gunther Schuller put it:
Rake is Mozart revisited, to be sure, but by a genius who has shown us aspects of Mozart we have never seen before. It's an extraordinary love affair with harmony . . . ravishingly beautiful sounds, filtered and savored by one of the greatest musical ears of all time.
20th century Neoclassicism in music
Throughout cultural history, there is an artistic pendulum that moves between classicism and romanticism. For example, the classicist Gluck moves to the romanticist Wagner through the works of Mozart and Beethoven. In the unusual case of Igor Stravinsky, the pendulum can be seen moving through the works of a single artist. In his youth, Stravinsky was known as the avant garde post romanticist capable of exposing the most basic human emotions in earthy rhapsody. His middle period was absorbed with exploring the style and order of his classical predecessors, while he concluded his compositional life working in the serial/twelve tone manner, the intellectual complement to the emotional basis of his youthful inspiration.
The Rake's Progess is one of the central works of his middle period, and is accordingly linked to composers and compositions of the past. We invite you to join us for a "curated" view of these influences, using YouTube excerpts as our musical source book.
Verdi
Anne Trulove's Act I aria No word from Tom is comparable to any number of bel canto arias. It begins with a recitative followed by a slow section (cavatina), interrupted by another recitative, then ends with a fiery coloratura section (cabaletta). Compare this aria with Violetta's Act I aria, Ah fors'e lui . . . Sempre Libera in La traviata. In this form, the singer can use all of her vocal capabilities to reveal character and advance the story.
Elizabeth Futral as Violetta in Verdi's La traviata
Dawn Upshaw as Anne Trulove in The Rake's Progress
Mozart
The references to Mozart are many. Un aura amorosa, Ferrando's Ode to Love, from Così fan tutte is the undeniable influence for Tom's darker, slightly twisted ode, Love, too Frequently betrayed. Note the same rhythmic start to the introduction, as well as the expansive melody.
Jonas Kaufmann as Ferrando in in Mozart's Così fan tutte
Cristian Mogosan as Tom Rakewell in The Rake's progress, Cluj-Napoca National Opera, Romania
The scene in the churchyard in The Rake's Progress is strongly reminiscent of the finale of Mozart's Don Giovanni (another tale of a rake). In Don Giovanni of course, it is the rake himself who is taken to hell. In The Rake's Progress Nick Shadow sinks into the grave.
Samuel Ramey as Don Giovanni and Kurt Moll as the Commendatore in Mozart's Don Giovanni
Samuel Ramey as Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress
Monteverdi
The final scene of The Rake's Progress owes a great deal to the 16th century operas of Monteverdi. The free recitative, the references to gods and the hope of rescue are common to both.
Vittorio Prato in the title role in Monetverdi's Orfeo
Edward Randall as Tom in The Rake's Progress (in German)
David Shefsiek and Maureen Woodall
