The Rake's Progress · Opera
Songs in The Rake's Progress
This page features the songs from The Rake's Progress. Song cards link to details such as style, context, vocal notes, and audition cut suggestions when available. Explore the list below to access song guides.
- Prelude
Act One
- Duet & Trio - The woods are green (Anne, Tom, Truelove)
- Recit. - Anne my dear (Truelove, Anne, Tom)
- Recit. & aria - Here I Stand (Tom)
- Recit. - Tom Rakewell? (Shadow, Tom)
- Quartet - I wished but once (Tom, Shadow, Truelove, Anne)
- Recit. - I’ll call the coachman, sir (Shadow, Truelove)
- Duet - Farewell, farewell (Anne, Tom)
- Recit. - All is ready, sir (Shadow, Tom)
- Arioso & Trio - Dear Father Truelove (Tom, Anne, Truelove)
- Chorus - With air commanding (Chorus)
- Recit. & Scene - Come, Tom, I fain have our hostess (Tom, Shadow, Mother Goose)
- Chorus - Soon dawn will glitter (Chorus)
- Recit. - Brothers of Mars (Shadow)
- Aria - Love too frequently betrayed (Tom)
- Chorus - How sad a song (Chorus, Mother Goose)
- Chorus - The sun is bright (Chorus, Shadow)
- Recit and aria - No word from Tom (Anne)
Act Two
- Aria - Vary the song (Tom)
- Aria - Always the quarry (Tom)
- Recit. - Master are you alone (Shadow, Tom)
- Aria - Come Master (Shadow)
- Duet - My tale shall be told (Tom, Shadow)
- Recit. & Arioso - How Strange! Although the heart for love dare (Anne)
- Duet - Anne! Here! (Anne, Tom)
- Recit. - My love, am I to remain in here forever? (Baba, Tom, Anne)
- Trio - Could it then have been known? (Anne, Tom, Baba)
- Finale - I have not run away, dear heart (Baba, Tom, Chorus)
- Aria - As I was saying both brothers wore moustaches...Scorned! Abused!
- Recit. - My heart is cold, (Tom)
- Recit. & Arioso - O I wish it were true (Tom, Shadow)
- Duet - Thanks to this excellent device (Tom, Shadow)
- Recit. - Forgive me, master (Shadow, Tom)
Act Three
- Scene & Chorus - Ruin! Disaster! (Chorus, Anne, Sellem)
- Recit. & Aria - Ladies both fair and gracious (Sellem)
- Aria - Sold! Annoyed! (Baba, Chorus, Tom, Shadow)
- Recit.- Now what was that? (Chorus, Baba, Sellem, Anne)
- Duet - You love him, seek to set him right (Baba, Anne, Sellem, Chorus)
- Ballad & Finale - If boys had wings (Tom, Shadow, Anne, Baba, Sellem, Chorus)
- Duet - How dark, how dark (Tom, Shadow)
- Recit. - Very well then (Shadow, Tom)
- Duet & Scene - My heart is wild with fear (Tom, Shadow, Anne)
- Arioso - Prepare yourselves (Tom, Chorus)
- Chorus - Minuet (chorus)
- Recit. - There he is have no fear (Keeper, Anne, Tom)
- Arioso - I have waited (Tom)
- Duet - In a foolish dream (Tom, Anne)
- Lullaby - Gently, little boat, (Anne, Chorus)
- Recit. - Anne, my dear, the tale is now ended (Truelove, Anne)
- Duet - Every wearied body (Truelove, Anne)
- Finale - Where art thou, Venus? (Tom, Chorus)
- Epilogue - Good people just a moment (Tutti)
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number.