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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress
“Jerry Hadley's credulous Tom and Dawn Upshaw's emotionally complex Anne combine with Kent Nagano's taut direction. One of the finest Rakes on disc.” BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2010 ***** | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress
Jayne West, Jon Garrison, ArthurWoodley, John Cheek, Shirley Love, Wendy White, Melvin Lowery & Jeffrey Johnson Gregg Smith Singers & Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Robert Craft Robert Craft first met Stravinsky on the same day that Auden delivered the completed libretto to the composer, and was directly involved in what he describes as “the first step” in the composition of The Rake’s Progress. This was principally with regard to helping Stravinsky master the pronunciation, vocabulary and rhythms of the English text, and sharing the composer’s excitement as the brilliantly conceived score took shape. This 1993 recording, conducted by Craft, is no less significant than Stravinsky’s 1953 Metropolitan Opera recording, available on Naxos Historical 8111266-67. “Craft understands Stravinsky's music better than anyone.” Fanfare “An Anglophone cast benefits Auden and Kallman's text while Robert Craft's neat conducting highlights the delicate ironies of Stravinsky's neo-classical score.” BBC Music Magazine, November 2009 *** | | | (also available to download from $10.75) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress
“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.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2008 “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” MusicWeb International “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.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 | | | (also available to download from $16.50) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress
| | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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