Phillip Glass for me is one of those highly appreciate rather than love composers, his music is at its best hypnotic but is not for those that aren't fans of repetition. The same goes for minimalist music in general, a form of music that Glass is one of the most important composers in, it is interesting to study (studied it myself for a musicianship module at music college) but is not the sort of music that makes me want to come back to it over and over.
The Metropolitan Opera have done a lot of contemporary operas over the years, almost every season of the uneven but always interesting 'Metropolitan Opera HD Live' series has one. 'Akhnaten' is Season 14's contribution. The series is no stranger to Glass' music, having previously done the wonderful 'Satyagraha' some years ago. My general impression of the series' contemporary operas has been that the productions have many brilliant elements and majorly impress on the whole but some of the operas have not been to my personal tastes. Despite the very slight and not particularly coherent story, 'Akhnaten' (with Glass' distinctive style all over it) to me was one of the standouts in a good way and also the production overall was one of the best and most interesting of the season, certainly the best up to this point of the season.
'Akhnaten' looks great visually, the costumes especially being a feast for the eyes. A lot of care, effort and money went into making this production possible and it shows loud and clear. Any symbolism is obvious, such as the long red train signifying perhaps destiny and love in the love scene, but not heavy-handed or confused. Likewise with everything with Akhnaten's religion and that is a major theme in the opera. The use of ladders and frames in the sets is cleverly done.
Despite saying that the story is best forgotten, the staging somehow is very striking to look at, is not static or overblown and doesn't meander. The stylised movements around the stage are deliberate but beautifully timed and the danger increases in some cases. The love scene between Akhnaten and Nefertiti is hypnotic in all senses, and the "Attack and Fall" scene is also successful in this regard. The juggling is very imaginatively handled and gets increasingly bold.
Musically, this production of 'Akhnaten' is outstanding. Glass' score, it and the production values and staging never being at odds with each other, is haunting and hypnotic without being too heavy on the repetition, the more prominent use of lower instrumentation making it so. The orchestral playing is heavily atmospheric, like a fluid river of sound and beautifully balanced, the brass being especially foreboding like in the hymn. Held together by the incisive and sensitive conducting of Karen Kamensek (excepting slightly the fairly metronomic prelude, my one minor criticism).
Chorus are also excellent, especially in the "Funeral of Amenhotep III", which is a masterpiece of a scene masterfully handled in all regards. All the performances are all round wonderful, an amazing achievement for such a large cast and a sizeable number of debutantes. While J'Nai Bridges is touching as Nefertiti and has great chemistry with Anthony Roth Costanzo and Aaron Blake sings absolutely beautifully with no signs of being over-parted, two performances are especially good. One is Constanzo, who has an utterly riveting stage presence and he sings wonderfully throughout. Personally thought he sang the hymn very well. Even better is an immensely powerful Zachary James in a role basically spoken, especially shining in the lecture and the reading of the four letters.
Summing up, wonderful and one of the best of the season. 10/10
The Metropolitan Opera have done a lot of contemporary operas over the years, almost every season of the uneven but always interesting 'Metropolitan Opera HD Live' series has one. 'Akhnaten' is Season 14's contribution. The series is no stranger to Glass' music, having previously done the wonderful 'Satyagraha' some years ago. My general impression of the series' contemporary operas has been that the productions have many brilliant elements and majorly impress on the whole but some of the operas have not been to my personal tastes. Despite the very slight and not particularly coherent story, 'Akhnaten' (with Glass' distinctive style all over it) to me was one of the standouts in a good way and also the production overall was one of the best and most interesting of the season, certainly the best up to this point of the season.
'Akhnaten' looks great visually, the costumes especially being a feast for the eyes. A lot of care, effort and money went into making this production possible and it shows loud and clear. Any symbolism is obvious, such as the long red train signifying perhaps destiny and love in the love scene, but not heavy-handed or confused. Likewise with everything with Akhnaten's religion and that is a major theme in the opera. The use of ladders and frames in the sets is cleverly done.
Despite saying that the story is best forgotten, the staging somehow is very striking to look at, is not static or overblown and doesn't meander. The stylised movements around the stage are deliberate but beautifully timed and the danger increases in some cases. The love scene between Akhnaten and Nefertiti is hypnotic in all senses, and the "Attack and Fall" scene is also successful in this regard. The juggling is very imaginatively handled and gets increasingly bold.
Musically, this production of 'Akhnaten' is outstanding. Glass' score, it and the production values and staging never being at odds with each other, is haunting and hypnotic without being too heavy on the repetition, the more prominent use of lower instrumentation making it so. The orchestral playing is heavily atmospheric, like a fluid river of sound and beautifully balanced, the brass being especially foreboding like in the hymn. Held together by the incisive and sensitive conducting of Karen Kamensek (excepting slightly the fairly metronomic prelude, my one minor criticism).
Chorus are also excellent, especially in the "Funeral of Amenhotep III", which is a masterpiece of a scene masterfully handled in all regards. All the performances are all round wonderful, an amazing achievement for such a large cast and a sizeable number of debutantes. While J'Nai Bridges is touching as Nefertiti and has great chemistry with Anthony Roth Costanzo and Aaron Blake sings absolutely beautifully with no signs of being over-parted, two performances are especially good. One is Constanzo, who has an utterly riveting stage presence and he sings wonderfully throughout. Personally thought he sang the hymn very well. Even better is an immensely powerful Zachary James in a role basically spoken, especially shining in the lecture and the reading of the four letters.
Summing up, wonderful and one of the best of the season. 10/10
