Philip Glass: Akhnaten - The Window of Appearances

[@josephAlmond-nb3xm]

Thank God for Phillip Glass.

[@drorbedrack8720]

I'm just grateful I was born to the world this exists in

[@1630revelloify]

I've seen this production three times now at English National Opera. It never fails to inspire me. It's a shame that ENO is being defunded by the Arts Council, as productions like this will be lost. Why can't the UK embrace and enjoy opera as something that everyone can access and experience?

[@barbaranorthwood]

The ENO isn't being defunded but forced to move it's headquarters to Manchester. Londoners will have to travel north to see the productions, bur for Northerners like myself, it's a bonus.

[@1630revelloify]

@@barbaranorthwood I've no problem with travelling to opera - Opera North, WNO, ETO and Scottish Opera are all in my diary - and I love visiting different theatres. However, ENO's funding has been cut, and there's no venue specified for the relocation. My worry is that new and innovative productions will be lost, and the 2023-4 season announcement only serves to justify my concerns. If I believed that ENO would provide a new voice for opera in Manchester (or Birmingham or Liverpool), I'd be delighted, but right now I don't.

[@barbaranorthwood]

@@1630revelloify I think it's the old Palace Theatre which is the only large theatrical building still standing in Manchester. Most British artistic grants have been cut, but it has happened before (at 82 years, I've witnessed a lot of Government vandalism.) Imagination and artistic endeavour nearly always prevails, I believe. It's also fair to mention that over the past decades ENO has often lurched from on crisis to another and thankfully is at least still here.

[@crescentsi]

It's not commercial - not enough profit to be made.

[@nimbism]

I went to it at ENO last year with my 13 year old son, absolutely amazing, for us both.

[@raymondBURSI]

Magnifico Adoro Glass Grazie

[@carmendamic77]

Anch'io. Lo conosco dal 1976... Einstein on the beach...rrimasi folgorata.

[@SisterUnity]

My heart is glowing now! The music has accomplished it's goal!

[@StuartWrightWork]

Becoming obsessed with Glass's tripping ostinatos. The arpeggio draws you in then spits you out when he misses a beat. It creates even more anxiety than the repeated phrase can on its own.

[@jrock2720]

I saw Aknaten at the Met for its second run last May. It was my first time at the Met and I left absolutely transfixed by the performance I had just witnessed. I am reading Matthew Aucoin's The Impossible Art: Adventures in Opera (highly recommended) and Aknhaten succinctly captures Matthew's premise that opera is a collusion and transformation of so many disciplines; music, performance, costumes, acting, staging. Each discipline influences the other to produce The Impossible Art. The stunning presentation of Anthony Roth Costanzo's ascent to the sun at the end of Act II is the incarnate of The Impossible Art and I hope to experience more moments like this as my adventures in opera proceed.

[@wolvie14]

I saw it in a movie theatre. And we were all as transfixed as you were. This is one of the best operas, not of the 20 th Century, one of the best ever

[@olenavashchenko4014]

This staging is absotely terrific in costumes, movements, lighting and sllightly frightening archaic atmosphere

[@robinblankenship9234]

Too bad the music is so vapid.

[@davidalbro2009]

@@robinblankenship9234 Vapid? The music is powerful, stirring, transcendent.

[@PabloEColorado]

the writing of this opera and the staging of this opera and the performance of the singers makes this an immortal great

[@jacquesgeorges1041]

Philip Glass est le compositeur indépassable de notre temps. 🌞

[@268TERI]

So glad I have You Tube Premium. Can you imagine this mesmerizing, profound performance broken up with an ad for mattresses? Lordy!

[@KimJungGooner]

It's the only subscription I have for streaming stuff. I watch KZbin 24/7.

[@RB-bd5tz]

uBlock Origin is a great and free ad blocker. Works just the same.

[@johnfowler5332]

I got to see this production at the ENO in London on Saturday and it was stunning. What a fantastic, magical show!

[@Rheingold-pc4jd]

Saw this unique production with English National Opera,no words to properly explain how amazing it is quite overwhelmed by it

[@jeannettebanens7913]

beautiful. we saw the on screen Met N.Y.performance in the Pathe house in The Hague and loved it.

[@Denuhm]

I am so excited for this to come to the national opera in the UK

[@Aldo.flores]

That’s a beautiful part, it’s so mesmerizing

[@timothydeanlee1175]

My dear friend Anthony you are Brilliant! As is the rest of the cast. The Sets. The costuming! Bravo, Bravo, Bravo!

[@redbark]

I just saw a taped version of this production in a local movie theater. All I can say is "breathtaking"! My only disappointment was that a translation of the ancient Egyptian that they sang was not in the supertitles.

[@karlmortoniv2951]

Some productions of Glass' "Satyagraha" don't tend to translate any of the Sanskrit text in that opera either, although Wikipedia says that supertitles are sometimes done. Wonder who decides one way or the other? Is it just someone deciding not to spend the money or something? The weird thing about "Satyagraha" is that it dramatizes people and events that took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, although not in a linear way, rather than near-mythical stuff from thousands of years ago. In the case of "Akhnaten" I'm not sure having a precise translation would make much difference for me, judging by what I've read, but I couldn't say the same about "Satyagraha." Both shows are mesmerizing to experience, though, so I couldn't say they needed to fix anything. 😄

[@davisfan]

Anyone knows if I can stream it somewhere?

[@MDK2_Radio]

@@davisfanyou can stream it from the Met, but you have to sign up for it.

[@jasonep2]

@@davisfan The Metropolitan Opera on Demand streaming service.

[@hurdygurdyguy1]

I missed an opportunity to see it in our local movie theater 😭

[@unniespeland239]

Bästa som hänt mig ! Alla Akhnatens akter är en Gudagåva . Men denna är -over the top ❤ ❤️

[@SavereoJohnMusic]

thanks for sharing - my favourite piece from the opera - going to see it at Covent Garden next month - can;t wait !

[@ClaudioSampaio-y1g]

Simplesmente... Gênio!!!

[@kiarrasayshi]

This is the first opera I've ever seen (besides about 10 minutes of madame butterfly on PBS). I watched it on demand in the met app. I so wish I could've seen it in person! I'm in love! This is my favorite period of history. Been reading about Akhenaten and Nefertiti since I was a kid. So maybe that's why this one feels so different to me because I didn't think I liked opera. The costumes, the choreography, the set... The whole thing is just such a celebration of art! Would love some recommendations for more gateway operas that can help a newbie like me build a love for it!

[@alicemorrison1518]

This was my gateway opera too!!! I also like the musical complexity in The Magic Flute, even though it is more old fashioned and not a "ritual" like this. This is not *opera related* but you might enjoy the movie Koyaanisqatsi an experimental art movie that Philip Glass provided the music for.

[@kiarrasayshi]

@@alicemorrison1518 thank you for the recommendations! I'll check them out

[@sothisispermanence1898]

I can't get enough of this lately.

[@MsKezbomb]

Wow 🤩🤩 as a peasant who loves Phillip Glass here I am appreciating opera 💁🏽‍♀️ music has no boundary’s this is fucking unreal!!

[@hansenhugohh]

Amé esta obra desde el comienzo ,no tuve la oportunidad de verlo .... Gracias x compartir

[@georgesmythe8673]

my all time favourite music this session of my favourite opera glass

[@YuliJade]

Wow! Beautiful

[@hdrake1000]

Amazing, way too cool.

[@karibrandstaka8907]

😮 Wonderful !

[@dewit7]

beauty allover!!!

[@kalleniemi6316]

Everything about this is superb.

[@jamesclark2020]

Wow.

[@lukeminton-schwarzmanschol1943]

Unsure if this is intentional, but for me Akhnaten's costume is giving Elizabeth I "Virgin Queen"

[@pinarfinke]

Magical...✨

[@peterfaust5634]

Wahnsinnig gut!

[@canticle56]

Great production.

[@bluebluegrey7067]

Simply STUNNING …!!! 🩵🧡🩶❣

[@johannesnicolaas]

Let me tell you this: the immortal Ka of Nefercheperure Akhnaton Waenre is pleased. Mighty pleased!

[@Kdbnr619]

É uma coisa de uma beleza onírica. Um sonho bom...

[@Aubury]

Would l could buy a dvd of this .. sigh

[@michelleh.5225]

Play this at my wedding ❤

[@markushauser6491]

❤

[@georgesmythe8673]

i had a circle seat for this at ENO recently i was so looking forward to it but I walked into my cat jumping from a higher service and we collided i sustained concussion he just looked annoyed -so i could not go

[@a.p.e.ayudapersonalizadaal5575]

Amazing ❤

[@alamix1986]

Vecna brought me here ❤

[@drewofthedumpster]

Where can I find the full performance?

[@Arriyad1]

Thank you for publishing this astonishing work of art ! I have a question : where is the original text in hieroglyphs (not in phonetics). I read that it comes from Wallis Budge’ “The Gods of the Egyptians” but I cannot find it in the scanned copies of the book on the www.

[@IcarodeFariaLuis]

I don't know actually. I just brought the lyrics in transcription from internet... I found only the information you are referring to.

[@georgesmythe8673]

shelf should read

[@claudiahaupt4436]

can you play it in" Kassel Staatstheater" Germany please?

[@vivagao1315]

震撼还是有的。服装不好评论，头饰除了王太后能看出Hathor冠，法老和Nefertiti的头饰没看出是什么出处。荧光棒用的不错，不仅能幻化Atn神的光芒，还能变作强化效果框突出重点改革人物。法老的妈Tiye绝对的后宫强力派，大力支持他进行宗教改革，他正妻号称埃及最美的女人，夫妻同心。如果没理解错这场就应该是在Amarna强力改革推翻Amun神信仰，大力推崇一神Atn崇拜的场景。其实布条幻化实景Atn的手臂也可圈可点，在我这跳戏就是因为实在是与上戏1990年陈明正执导的《白蛇传》中雷峰塔倒掉的场景太过雷同。

[@vibhavperi983]

Where was this performance?

[@IcarodeFariaLuis]

At the Metropolitan Opera in New York

[@vibhavperi983]

@@IcarodeFariaLuis Thank you!

[@brendonmcmorrow3886]

@@IcarodeFariaLuis So it's Anthony Roth Constanzo in the lead role?

[@pleiomedesnutcracker2683]

@@brendonmcmorrow3886 yes Anthony Roth Constanzo

[@christianbrown7959]

I would love to see a version of this with a cast full of people of color. It would be neat ❤

[@BlueSerpent77]

I LOVE this opera and have been listening to many different recordings over the years - this one, marvelous- if I close my eyes, since costumes are dreadful... Akhnaten´s vision was that of simplicity, beauty, not masqerade.

[@normanzurich2781]

So gay ❤❤❤

[@wordscapes5690]

Wonderful music. I just wish he’d chosen a dramatic tenor for the title role. I detest the countertenor voice with a passion that borders on paranoia. But that’s my own personal problem, yes? Again, wonderful music.

[@unniespeland239]

I absolutely love this tenor !

[@octoberonvox]

The way I see it, the countertenor was a way to show Akhnaten as a seriously atypical hero, really heightening his place in the story as the man who was never meant to be king, and strongly echoes his androgynous depiction in Amarna art. Plus I really love the way Nefertiti's alto dips lower than him in the trio. I can't speak for Glass, but it feels like the reaction you have to the countertenor voice iss the exact reason he chose it - you're not supposed to like him

[@meilinchan7314]

This production may be better for Verdi's Aida, but for Glass' Akhnaten, it's a travesty for Egyptological purists. All the more since Akhnaten was a historical figure.

[@John-b7g5i]

Freemasons this staging is made for you! 🥱