Igor Stravinsky had the music world in an uproar in 1913 when he premiered The Rite of Spring in Paris. In fact, so split was the reaction to the piece that it caused an actual riot. Stravinsky was a composer who pushed the boundaries of his art and was seen as a revolutionary, collaborating with other ground-breaking visual artists such as Picasso and Cocteau and changing the landscape of music forever.

I went with James to see Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress at Glyndebourne last night, which would have been an exciting enough prospect but the sets were by David Hockney!!!!!!!!!!! Double whammy of a treat for eyes and ears!

I love Hockney. The lightness of his pen in the limited palette of black, blue, green and red and crosshatching style in contrast with the dark subject matter of the doomed Tom Rakewell made the experience so exciting as the story became more bleak and tragic and the sets more exquisitely realised.

The obsession with money and celebrity were as destructive in Hogarth’s time (his series of paintings of the same name were the inspiration for the opera) as they are today, in fact it is a surprisingly modern and thought-provoking fable of vice leading to ultimate destruction.

Add to that the controlled wilderness of the grounds of Glyndebourne in the rain, with even a sneaky little Henry Moore amongst the tropical undergrowth, some exquisite eats, and you’ve got yourself a truly special treat.

Thanks James x

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