"The Rake's Progress" – Premiere at Helikon Opera

To close the season (July 9–13), Helikon Opera presented a premiere production—Igor Stravinsky’s opera "The Rake’s Progress." The director of the new production, People’s Artist of Russia Dmitry Bertman, noted: "For me, Stravinsky is not just a composer; he is an entire philosophy of modern art." Indeed, Igor Stravinsky is one of the most significant figures in 20th-century musical culture. As an undeniable innovator, he combined eras and styles in his music with unprecedented ease. It is worth recalling that the first work performed 35 years ago at the opening of the Helikon Theatre was Stravinsky’s opera "Mavra." Now, the choice has fallen on his last opera, "The Rake’s Progress," created by the composer in 1951 based on eight engravings by the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth. "For me," continued Dmitry Bertman, the director of "The Rake’s Progress," "the opera’s protagonist, Tom Rakewell, embodies millions of young people today who want everything at once: wealth, status, an easy life without obligations. The Tom of the 18th century and the Tom of the 21st century are the same person. The scenery changes, but the essence remains: the eternal struggle between spirit and flesh, between the sublime and the base, between love and selfishness. That is why 'The Rake’s Progress' resonates today like never before. This musical parable reveals the whole truth about the human soul—how easily one can succumb to the temptation of quick success and how dearly one pays for it," emphasized Dmitry Bertman, People’s Artist of Russia.

In Helikon’s premiere production of "The Rake’s Progress," all components of the operatic genre came together brilliantly. Alongside Dmitry Bertman’s outstanding direction, the production features set designer Hartmut Schörghofer from Austria, lighting designer Denis Enyukov, and, of course, conductor and Moscow Prize laureate Valery Kiryanov, who prepared the orchestra and soloists for this large-scale work. "Stravinsky, as a genius stylist, plays with genres and forms," noted the conductor. "The opera contains elegant arias reminiscent of Handel and Mozart, witty buffo ensembles, and even almost vagabond street tunes—yet all of this is refracted through his unique musical language: sudden meter changes, polyrhythmic techniques, polytonal overlays, and timbral play. It’s as if the music itself becomes a character, commenting on the heroes’ actions," emphasized conductor Valery Kiryanov.

We should also mention two remarkable soloists, the main characters of "The Rake’s Progress": tenor Daniil Garkunov in the role of Tom Rakewell and Alexandra Sokolova, who performed the role of Tom’s fiancée, Anne Trulove.

Following tradition, an exhibition opened in the theater’s foyer alongside the premiere of Stravinsky’s "The Rake’s Progress," showcasing all eight engravings by 18th-century English artist William Hogarth as well as priceless works of theatrical graphics by artists from Stravinsky’s circle—Leon Bakst, Natalia Goncharova, Sergey Sudeikin, and Ivan Bilibin—who elevated theatrical sketches to the rank of high art. The exhibition also features two portraits of Igor Stravinsky—a painting and a sculpture—by 20th-century artist Gavriil Glikman.