A Night at the Opera
The Rake’s Progress is an opera by Stravinsky which tells the story of Tom Rakewell, who sells his soul to the Devil in return for fame and fortune. Currently on at The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, you would be forgiven for thinking that this production is like any other Opera...But don’t switch off just yet! Whilst Opera is not usually the genre of choice for people of University age, this production may help to change your mind. As a first-timer to the Opera myself, I hope to persuade you to give Opera a chance and go and see this production.
This version of Stravinsky’s 20th Century Opera is both similar and also extremely different to how you may image Opera to be. Sung in English, this is a revival of the original 2008 Robert Lepage production. The set design (by Carl Fillion), costume (by Francois Barbeau) and action of the production are not quite the white wigs and men-in-tights that you may expect and the sets, whilst lavish in their own way, don’t have a painted backdrop in sight. The sets range from a sprawling Texas oil field, complete with vast cloudy sky (courtesy of a giant screen at the back of the set) to a prostitutes parlour and finally an insane asylum. Lepage’s production has clear allusions to Hollywood- not least explicitly through Tom himself who becomes a movie star but also through the references to iconic film moments and genres throughout the piece. Anne Trulove, Rakewell’s love interest, rides a car along a road with her scarf fastened around her head and fluttering out the back of the car in a real reference to Hollywood glamour of old. The scarf eventually flies away across the stage with the aid of a simple wire, but the effect is beautiful. This production really relies on such simplistic but effective pieces of set and costume. I won’t recount them all here and spoil them but would encourage you to keep an eye out for the incredibly clever use of a small house in the first half.
The two principle singers in the production- Toby Spence as Tom Rakewell and Rosemary Joshua as Anne Trulove- really live up to the reputation that Opera singers are given. Spence has a beautifully rich voice which fills the theatre with the passion of his character and Joshua sends shivers down the spine. This is not to say that the production is without its humour, Patricia Bardon as Baba the Turk delivers a vocally and physically humorous performance as the irritating bearded wife of Rakewell. Special mention must go to Kyle Ketelsen who takes on the role of Nick Shadow. Playing the Devil, he arguably has the best role but he completely makes it his own. From the first moment he emerges covered in oil to greet Tom, to the moment of his defeat, he is utterly compelling to watch and his stage presence is matched by an equally as compelling voice. The rich vocal talents of the cast combined with the talents of the orchestra-conducted by Ingo Metzmacher-creates a soundscape which very much lives up to Stravinsky’s score.
The Opera is on at The Royal Opera House on selected dates until the 3rd of February and tickets are available from the box office. The running time is 3 hours which can seem to be on the long side if you haven’t eaten before, so my tip would be to make sure you eat before you go- you won’t be able to afford the salmon sandwiches in the interval! In terms of experience though, this production is a must see. Funny, modern and visually stunning, it is an Opera which would appeal to even those who would not count themselves as Opera fans and the Royal Opera House itself has to be seen. Catch this now before you miss out and have to wait until the next revival.
I have also been informed that the Royal Opera House have a Student Standby ticket scheme where they offer tickets for ten pounds up to 24 hours prior to a performance to students who have registered with them. Although it is not guaranteed for every performance, it is well worth registering with them to try and get these tickets. If you are still unsure about Opera there would no longer be an excuse! A tenner is a bargain. Click on the link below for information...
http://www.roh.org.uk/studentstandby/index.aspx
Special Thanks to Eleonora Claps from the Royal Opera House for all her help and cooperation.
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