Premiere of the opera "The Rake's Progress" at the Perm Opera and Ballet Theater

On June 22 and 23, the Perm Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after P. I. Tchaikovsky invites you to the premiere of Igor Stravinsky’s opera “The Rake’s Progress.” This is a unique event that cannot be missed!

The source of inspiration for Igor Stravinsky was the exhibition of prints by William Hogarth, held in 1947 in the USA. Hogarth created his famous engravings in 1735, calling them The Rake's Progress. The main character, Tom Rakewell, having inherited a significant fortune, plunges into the world of temptations of the big city. As a result, he ends up ruined and ends his days in an insane asylum.

“I was suddenly struck by the idea that a series of Hogarth’s engravings were located in the sequence of opera scenes,” the composer later recalled. The libretto for the opera was written by the poet W. Hugh Auden, a friend of Stravinsky. In his interpretation, everyday history turned into an ancient parable. The opera did not immediately gain recognition, but in 1975, thanks to the original scenography by avant-garde artist David Hockney, it achieved real triumph.

Tickets for the opera "The Rake's Progress" - this is your chance to plunge into the atmosphere of pastoral village life, contrasted with the sins of city slums and luxurious palaces. A unique production awaits you on the stage of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theater, which will be performed for the first time in Perm.

Stravinsky consciously wrote “The Rake’s Progress” in the genre of opera, using typical arias, recitatives, choirs and ensembles. However, this work is not a simple copy of 18th-century operas. The composer looks at the past with irony, completing the stage of neoclassicism in his work.

The musical director and conductor of the production is Fyodor Lednev, known for his experience working with the best orchestras in the country. 

Don't miss the opportunity to become part of this unique event! Buy tickets for the opera "The Rake's Progress" you can do it now. Hurry up, the number of places is limited!