“For idle hearts and hands and minds the Devil finds work to do”. Igor Stravinsky saw William Hogarth’s set of eight 18th century paintings and engravings of London life and created a groundbreaking opera on them. WH Auden’s poetic English libretto resonates with the speech and danger of those London streets. The Rake’s Progress is a devastating morality play, packed with wit, satire, high comedy, and tragedy. It dances on a pin of laughter and ridicule. Stravinsky’s score is a modern Mozart opera, infused with delicious parody and celebration of the earlier genius’ music. This new production will be created by the celebrated prize-winning director/designer Antony McDonald. Tom Primrose, our 2023 chorus master, conducts. The cast is a roll-call of British stars. Emerging tenor Adam Temple Smith and Alexandra Oomens, critically praised as Euridice and Belinda in our 2023 Double Bill, sing the young lovers Tom Rakewell and Anne Trulove. Scottish/Iranian bass-baritone Michael Mofidian is Nick Shadow; Rosie Aldridge Baba the Turk, Catherine Wyn-Rogers Mother Goose and John Graham Hall the Auctioneer, Sellem. Tears of laughter and sadness will flow in equal measure.

The Rake’s Progress

The Grange at Northington

Rossini’s Petite Messe is one of the most joyful and uplifting sacred works in the entire repertoire composed by the Italian operatic genius after he finished writing for stage, and which he referred as “one of the sins of his old age”.

Tom Primrose

Events

Past events

Jul 6, 2024

The Rake’s Progress · The Grange Festival

May 7, 2023

Rossini – Petite Messe Solennelle · Newbury Spring Festival

Future and recently performed repertoire

Conductor in The Rake’s Progress by Stravinsky

The Grange Festival

About

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