My Take on Akhnaten

Bridges, left, as Nefertiti and
Costanzo as Akhnaten
wore long red robes that trailed behind them like Christo banners.
(Karen Almond/Met Opera)

Rebecca arranged her flight to Australia somewhat around the Met-Live broadcast of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten. 

We had seen the preview in previous opera’s – jugglers and singers together in pre-performance practice.

As usual, opera does not disappoint.

There are live interviews with performers who have just finished Act I, for example.

Or a pre-programmed interview with the conductor, this time Karen Kamenesk, who may be the foremost conductor on presenting Philip Glass’s music. I don’t follow him as many do. But I do go out to the internet and do my homework about the music. I may purse this out of a sense of shame that I don’t know more about opera off the top of my head. I do go to performances, but I can’t say I have read a book about famous 20th Century operas for example. I go merely out of a pursuit of pleasure. I don’t think I have ever been disappointed – not in the performances, nor in the encores.

In the live transmission, the satellites failed us during the climax of the first act and we missed seeing Akhnaten climbing the stairs to the sun, nor hearing the music around that ascent. But there is even something to be said in that moment as a space that reminds me of the exquisite pleasure of even seeing any of this performance live. There is a rocking repetition to Glass’s music in this opera – rocking in the sense of a rhythm going on and on. And a sublime sense of quiet when the opera is over – though I also felt a sense of loss in that quiet.

Mary and Leo took their kids to see the opera -- those lucky kids!

For a review from the Washington Post, click here.

Arta