The Rake's Progress, Glyndebourne, Firle, near Lewes, nutil Aug 29 (From The Argus)

The Rake's Progress, Glyndebourne, Firle, near Lewes, nutil Aug 29

4:44pm Thursday 12th August 2010 in

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In this revival, the scenic designs of David Hockney do battle with the music of Igor Stravinsky – sadly the opera loses out as it is sacrificed for the decor.

Loosely based on Hogarth’s eight paintings, the story tells of Tom Rakewell who, led by the Devil in the guise of a servant, abandons Anne Truelove for the hedonistic delights of London. The opera charts his decline, which ultimately leads to incarceration in a lunatic asylum.

The tale is told in nine scenes with an epilogue, and that is where the main fault lies. With long pauses between sections for the elaborate scenery to be dismantled and changed, the opera stutters along, all momentum lost.

That said, a lot of the design is clever and witty – both costumes and set are subject to cross hatching, as though drawn by coloured pencils, and one scene played entirely in black and white is very effective.

Because the opera is sung in English, the use of sur-titles is erratic, which is a pity as words are lost through lack of clarity. This is most noticeable with Miah Persson as Anne and Topi Lehtipuu as Tom. Their roles are sung with a beautiful sound but are, for the most part, almost incomprehensible.

No such complaints can be laid against Clive Bayley, Graham Clark and Matthew Rose. Rose as Nick Shadow, the Devil, is most imposing, both in voice and appearance.

Despite these misgivings, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had.

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