The Rakes Progress Live from Glyndebourne

Event information

Glyndebourne has become synonymous with The Rake's Progress thanks to John Cox's 1975 production which was framed within David Hockney's delightfully post-Hogarthian cross-hatched designs.
Inspired by William Hogarth’s famous cycle of satirical prints, and blessed with one of the cleverest librettos in all opera – courtesy of the poet W. H. Auden and his friend Chester Kallman – Stravinsky’s 1951 opera (whose Venice premiere was, coincidentally, directed by Glyndebourne’s then producer, Carl Ebert) is a modern musical morality play. The ‘hero’ Tom Rakewell, signs a Faustian pact with the devil, swaps the simple country life and a devoted sweetheart for the vain pursuit of big-city bonuses and increasingly exotic pleasures (climaxing in a loveless marriage to the bearded lady from a local fair) and ends up bankrupt and insane in Bedlam.
Conducted for the first time by Glyndebourne's current Music Director Vladimir Jurowski.