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Igor Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress
Act I Scene 1: The woods are green (Anne, Rakewell, Trulove)
Act I Scene 1: Anne, my dear (Trulove, Anne, Rakewell)
Act I Scene 1: Here I stand … Since it is not by merit (Rakewell)
Act I Scene 1: Tom Rakewell? (Shadow, Rakewell)
Act I Scene 1: Fair lady, gracious gentlemen (Shadow)
Act I Scene 1: I wished but once (Rakewell, Shadow, Anne, Trulove)
Act I Scene 1: My Anne, behold (Rakewell, Anne, Trulove, Shadow)
Act I Scene 1: Farewell for now (Anne, Rakewell)
Act I Scene 1: All is ready, sir (Shadow, Rakewell)
Act I Scene 1: Dear father Trulove (Rakewell)
Act I Scene 1: Laughter and light (Rakewell, Anne, Trulove, Shadow)
Act I Scene 2: With air commanding and weapon handy (Roaring Boys, Whores)
Act I Scene 2: Come, Tom (Shadow, Rakewell, Mother Goose)
Act I Scene 2: Soon dawn will glitter … Sisters of Venus, Brothers of Mars (Whores, Roaring Boys, Shadow)
Act I Scene 2: Love, too frequently betrayed (Rakewell)
Act I Scene 2: How sad a song (Whores, Mother Goose)
Act I Scene 2: The sun is bright, the grass is green (Whores, Roaring Boys, Shadow)
Act I Scene 3: No word from Tom … Quietly, night (Anne)
Act I Scene 3: My father! Can I desert him … I go, I go to him (Anne)
Act II Scene 1: Vary the song, O London (Rakewell)
Act II Scene 1: O Nature, green unnatural mother (Rakewell)
Act II Scene 1: Always the quarry that I stalk (Rakewell)
Act II Scene 1: Master, are you alone? (Shadow, Rakewell)
Act II Scene 1: Come, master, observe the host of mankind (Shadow)
Act II Scene 1: In youth the panting slave pursues (Shadow)
Act II Scene 1: My tale shall be told (Rakewell, Shadow)
Act II Scene 2: Introduction
Act II Scene 2: How strange! … O heart, be stronger (Anne)
Act II Scene 2: What can this mean? (Anne, Rakewell)
Act II Scene 2: My love, am I to remain in here for ever? (Baba, Anne, Rakewell)
Act II Scene 2: Could it then have been known (Anne, Rakewell, Baba)
Act II Scene 2: I have not run away (Baba, Rakewell, Voices, Town People)
Act II Scene 3: As I was saying … Come, sweet, come … Scorned! Abused! (Baba, Rakewell)
Act II Scene 3: Fa la la (Shadow)
Act II Scene 3: Thanks to this excellent device (Rakewell, Shadow)
Act II Scene 3: Forgive me, master, for intruding (Shadow, Rakewell)
Act III Scene 1: Ruin. Disaster. Shame. (Crowd, Anne, Sellem)
Act III Scene 1: Ladies both fair and gracious (Sellem)
Act III Scene 1: Who hears me, knows me (Sellem, Crowd)
Act III Scene 1: Sold! Annoyed! (Baba, Crowd, Rakewell, Shadow)
Act III Scene 1: You love him, seek to set him right (Baba, Anne, Crowd, Sellem, Rakewell, Shadow)
Act III Scene 1: I go to him (Anne, Rakewell, Shadow, Baba, Crowd)
Act III Scene 2: Prelude
Act III Scene 2: How dark and dreadful is this place (Rakewell, Shadow)
Act III Scene 2: Very well then, my dear and good Tom (Shadow, Tom)
Act III Scene 2: Well, then … My heart is wild with fear (Shadow, Rakewell)
Act III Scene 2: The simpler the trick (Shadow, Rakewell, Anne)
Act III Scene 2: I burn, I burn! I freeze! (Shadow)
Act III Scene 2: With roses crowned (Rakewell)
Act III Scene 3: Prepare yourselves, heroic shades (Rakewell, Madmen)
Act III Scene 3: There he is. Have no fear (Keeper, Anne, Rakewell)
Act III Scene 3: I have waited … In a foolish dream (Rakewell, Anne)
Act III Scene 3: I am exceeding weary (Rakewell)
Act III Scene 3: Gently, little boat (Anne, Madmen)
Act III Scene 3: Anne, my dear (Trulove, Anne)
Act III Scene 3: Every wearied body (Anne, Trulove)
Act III Scene 3: Where art thou, Venus? (Rakewell, Madmen)
Act III Scene 3: Mourn for Adonis (Chorus)
Epilogue: Good people, just a moment (Anne, Baba, Rakewell, Shadow, Trulove)
2010
“In February 1953, 17 months after the world premiere in Venice, The Rake's Progress received its first American production, conducted by Fritz Reiner. Less than a month later, this studio recording was made, with the smaller orchestra that Stravinsky envisaged. The cast remained the same, and we can be confident that the performance retains a good deal of Reiner-inspired professionalism. Stravinsky was never a conductor on that level but this version is a viable alternative to his more familiar second recording, made in London in 1964. Mark Obert-Thorn has done an excellent job of restoration, providing a forward but wellbalanced sound. The cast is strong, though with more conventionally operatic qualities than would be favoured today. As Tom, Eugene Conley suggests ease in Verdi and Puccini rather than in Monteverdi, Mozart or Britten. The kind of florid passages that give Philip Langridge or Ian Bostridge no trouble are clearly strange territory for him. But he brings much more than mere fecklessness to the character and makes a strong contribution to those episodes in Act 2 where the dramatic temperature rather falls away. It takes Baba the Turk and Sellem the Auctioneer to bring the opera back to life, and both performances here are admirable in avoiding excessive caricature. As Nick Shadow, Mack Harrell is almost too benign; his great outburst of rage in Act 3 is less forceful than most. Hilda Gueden, also on unfamiliar territory, manages the lullaby with touching simplicity. The Rake was Stravinsky's farewell, as the possibilities of the 12-note method beckoned. But, this recording confirms, to dismiss the opera as a tired avowal of the need for fundamental change is grossly unjust.”
November 2008
“Harrell's artfully insinuating Shadow and Thebom's eloquently nattering Baba… transcend their time and circumstances, and though Gueden is occasionally stymied by singing in English, her tone shows her in her prime.”
“Stravinsky’s music is just as many-faceted as the abrupt turns of the tale. It is however written with good understanding of the human voice and is eminently singable”
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Act I Scene 1: The woods are green (Anne, Rakewell, Trulove)
