The Rake's Progress: Nagano / Lyon Opera Upshaw Hadley Ramey

The sad tale of Tom Rakewell was the subject of Igor Stravinsky's operatic masterpiece 'The Rake's Progress.' With a libretto by W.H. Auden and Chester Kallman, the story was inspired by a series of paintings of the same name by William Hogarth. The opera did not immediately catch on, and Stravinsky, as in the past, had been accused of being overly derivative. If only more composers were derivative like Stravinsky! No one can argue the depth and perception that exists in the setting of the libretto. Of course the story is a classic "downer," but the music adds a true dimension of hope that may otherwise not be present. Kent Nagano and the Chorus and Opera of Lyon helm the fine cast on this recording. Nagano is somewhat of a 20th-century-opera specialist, and his recording of Poulenc's 'Dialogues of the Carmelites' is highly recommended. As Tom, Jerry Hadley infuses his character with the weak-minded idealism we are actually able to sympathize with. Dawn Upshaw is a perfect Anne, gracious, astute, and ultimately forgiving, and Samuel Ramey as Nick shows us why he is king of opera's "devil" roles.