The cast moves with a ceremonious, unhurried composure, as if the characters of ancient Egyptian tomb paintings had come alive. Perhaps the clearest example of Akhnaten’s minimalism is its relentlessly slow, measured pace of physicality on stage. Drama is restricted by the judicious hand of a minimalist composer: Almost an anti-plot, the opera unfolds in a series of immersive vignettes that paint a portrait of the title figure and his legacy. Atmosphere drives Akhnaten above all else. Scenes are few in number, and drawn out, but imbued only minimally with story-forwarding action. Texts (when comprehensible) are pithy, repetitive, and set syllabically, fostering clarity and understanding. Vocal lines are simple and direct, with narrow tessituras, seeming to avoid any superfluous virtuosity. Beyond the now trademark arpeggios and tremolos pervasive throughout the Glass output, an economy of means-musical, theatrical, and dramaturgical-guides the opera. Mathew / LA Opera)Īkhnaten exemplifies minimalism in all its many forms-some often overlooked. What is surprising in Akhnaten is that an expansive genre like opera fits so spaciously in minimalist terrain, and integrates minimalist techniques continuously and convincingly.Ī scene from “Akhnaten.” (Photo: Craig T. Glass is counted among the foremost exponents of minimalism in music, and has been for some decades. The work hypnotizes in it visual impact, restrained musicality, spirituality, and the ring of historic authenticity. Glass’s first opera, Einstein on the Beach (1976)-a collaboration with director Robert Wilson-was shocking in its originality, great length, and anti-narrative concept, but equally shocking in its success, effectively launching Glass’s career.Īn experimental work, LA Opera revived it in 2013 for a terse single weekend run.Īkhnaten, by comparison, markets well: commanding yet vulnerable, approachable yet profound.

After that I was looking for a figure who influenced the religious side of society,” Glass told LA Opera. “So far I had covered science and politics. Third in a series of “portrait operas,” (the operatic equivalent of the biopic), Akhnaten, followed in the footsteps of Einstein and Gandhi, though three millennia their senior.

Mathew / LA Opera)Ĭoinciding with a period of cooler, shorter days, and political change (even upheaval), the LA Opera staged a generous month-long run of Akhnaten, by Philip Glass, chronicling the subversive pharaoh who incited a religious revolution in ancient Egypt.

La opera akhnaten