I have to get it off my chest, I’m no fan of Phillip Glass. That said, I love the current production of “Akhnaten” at the Chandler. Visually it is all-enveloping. And the music buoys it along. Glass based his opera on the story of the pharaoh, Akhnaten, whose short reign is considered important because in his 17 years he briefly changed the religion of Egypt from polytheistic to monotheistic, though the change did not last. It is useful to keep this in mind because without supertitles, with the sumptuous but abstract set, and virtually no emotion conveyed in the music or the acting, you probably would not have a clue. Historians and archeologists care, they consider Akhaten the father of the belief in one god. The libretto is a compendium of ancient texts. It might have been interesting to have some translation in supra titles.
Initially there are three layers of performers literally stacked on stage. At the base are the principal singers. The Chorus forms the second layer, and the top are the jugglers. Yes, the jugglers– they are integral to the production. They appear at various points throughout, beautifully choreographed by Sean Gandini– they are part dancers part jugglers. At one point the chorus is even choreographed to throw juggling balls precisely in sync with the jugglers. Underneath it all the orchestra has an unusual depth. It may take a while to realize there are no violins in this orchestra which gives it an unusual resonance. According to the program, Akhnaten was originally commissioned by the Stuttgart Opera. Their home stage was under reconstruction and for that season performances were held at another venue with a smaller orchestra pit. To accommodate this Glass created his score for a smaller ensemble by eliminating the violins in the process adding significant texture and resonance.
It is unusual for the lead role of an opera to be a countertenor. The few remaining portraits of Akhnaten portray him as androgenous. Presumably that is why Glass wrote him as a countertenor. John Holiday’s floating voice carries the part, though costume designer Kevin Pollard’s diaphanous costumes push the pharaoh into the more feminine. Overall Bruno Pye’s set manages to be minimal yet sumptuous with lush use of color and full use of space. The choreography requires the singers to move with the stealth and focus of mimes. It is hard to imagine Akhnaten without the lush production or without the jugglers who move in concert with rest of the cast.
Somehow three and a half hours pass quickly. Without arias in the traditional sense, but with a glorious chorus, an excellent and disciplined cast, bits of nudity and music that began to grow on me. I do not think the presence of supra titles would have ruined the mood or the minimalism Glass chooses to project. On the other hand it is not a complex story and well worth the time and effort to see.
Karen Weinstein
