50th Season 2005–2006 |
The Rake’s Progress Music by Igor Stravinsky Libretto by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman after the engravings by William Hogarth |
Act 1: The garden of Trulove’s house, Mother Goose’s brothel,
Anne’s
bedroom
After coming into a huge inheritance, Tom Rakewell bids farewell
to his sweetheart Anne Trulove, and sets off for London in the company of Nick
Shadow, a servant who offers his services for free for a year and a day. Tom,
in the brothel of Mother Goose, embarks on a life of debauchery. Anne sets off
for London to find Tom and help him. Meanwhile, Tom, having had one amorous adventure
after another, is still unhappy. To show the world that he doesn’t care
about morals or conventions, Tom agrees to Nick’s proposal to marry Baba
the Turk, a rich, but monstrous lady, who performs onstage.
Act II: Tom’s house, The street in front of Tom’s house, Tom’s
house
Anne is heartbroken when she sees Tom and Baba now married. Anne’s
words disturb Tom deeply, although he does not show it. Eventually, Tom becomes
disgusted with the monstrosity he has married. After going bankrupt, Tom disappears
and all his possessions are to be sold by auction to pay his debts. Baba stops
the auction and tells Anne that Tom still loves her and that she alone can
save him from the shameful life he is leading. Baba herself goes back to the
theater and the applause of the crowd.
Act III: Tom’s house, now covered in dust, A churchyard,
Bedlam, Epilogue
The
truth is at last revealed to Tom — Nick is the devil, and is after
Tom’s soul rather than his money. Tom gambles his last chance on a game
of cards, but Nick still condemns him to madness, then descends from sight
into a grave. Tom wakes up in Bedlam, believing that he is Adonis and that
Venus will soon come to visit him. Faithful Anne comes to comfort Tom and,
letting him believe that she is Venus, rocks him to sleep with a lullaby. Tom
wakes after she has gone, raves of his sweet Venus who has lovingly cradled
and forgiven him, calls on her and on Orpheus, then sinks back, dead. The principals
gather to tell the moral that each finds in the story. All concur:
For idle hands
And hearts and minds
The Devil finds
A work to do.
