Inspired by a set of 1730s paintings by William Hogarth, Igor Stravinsky's "The Rake's Progress" is the tale of a faithless rogue, but the opera represents a perfect marriage. Stravinsky's music combines Mozartian textures and tonal language with his own characteristic twists of rhythm, phrasing and harmony, while W.H. Auden's libretto (written with his sometime partner Chester Kallman) expresses depth and ambiguity in clear poetry.
The piece has been performed infrequently enough since its 1951 completion that Portland Opera's current production, which opened last night and runs only through Sunday, is the Pacific Northwest premiere. If you've seen it in the last 40 years, it's likely been with the set and costume design of David Hockney, the third partner in a brilliant marriage. His clean lines and fine crosshatching recall the drawings of Edward Gorey -- though without the sinister undertones, at least until the final act -- and with their simple color palette they echo exquisitely Stravinsky's sound and formal construction.
It's highly unusual for a production design to last as long as Hockney's has, much less for one to remain so fresh, and Portland Opera's "Rake's Progress" is itself a fresh delight.
Highlights: The music is Stravinsky at his neoclassical best, with passages that sound almost as though they were lifted from a Mozart divertimento and put through an invigorating modern filter. The story expands on Hogarth's conception with touches of "Don Giovanni," "Faust" and English picaresque novels but without seeming too rooted in the past. Roy Rallo's spirited direction reflected the outward simplicity of both the music and the design, and wisely put the singers at the front of the stage to make the best of their sound. Nick Cavallaro lit Hockney's sets with sunny brightness, and Ari Pelto led the orchestra nimbly through a deceptively challenging score.
Low notes: In retrospect, were I an arts philanthropist, I'd have funded another week of rehearsals -- ensemble and balance were generally good but rarely in the kind of sharp focus that creates electric energy. And I suppose it couldn't have been helped given the number and size of the sets, but the two set changes in each of the three acts went on long enough to put the brakes on the pacing and make for a long evening.
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Most valuable performer: As an opera cast should be, the singers were a well-matched ensemble with no MVP. As Tom Rakewell, Jonathan Boyd sang in a firm, bright tenor and displayed an ingenuous presence; he was less a dissolute Don Juan than a basically decent guy led astray by wealth and related temptations. David Pittsinger, in the role of the Mephistophelian Nick Shadow, projected both a handsome bass-baritone and an ever-so-slight malevolence. As Anne Trulove, the steadfast country girl Tom abandons, Maureen McKay sang with a pure, strong soprano well suited to her role; Angela Niederloh balanced her with rich mezzo darkness and sultry seductiveness as her rival, Baba the Turk. Arthur Woodley anchored beginning and end with a solid bass and a grave note of caution.
Repeats: Tonight at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.; Keller Auditorium, 222 S.W. Clay St.
Tickets: portlandopera.org
--James McQuillen for The Oregonian/OregonLive
