Financial Times (11Jan01)
The music was the strong side of The Rake s Progress. ETO has discovered a bass-baritone of notable promise in the young [James Rutherford]. Here is a voice that seems free from technical limitations; and Rutherford really knows how to sing an English text. [Robert Chevara] s production did the usual things with less than the usual flair.

The Times (11Jan01)
The new production is of interest purely for its musical standards, which are very high indeed. [James Rutherford] is one of the most remarkable male talents to have emerged here since, well, probably [Bryn Terfel]. His Nick Shadow was sung gloriously richly. Much of this boringly designed show seemed hardly to have been directed at all.