One Man's Opinion: Akhnaten
Where to begin? I tried my best to remain non-judgmental and merely absorb the experience, but that just so goes against my nature. After all, we all choose the art (or lack of art) that we consume every day.
Many critics about Glass being a "brilliant composer" or that is music is "genius." But I have never heard anyone describe him as a melodist. And certainly not as a dramatist.
Before I went to Akhnaten yesterday, I was thinking about what singularly appeals to me in opera. It comes down to two things, melody and drama. Everyone loves a "big tune." And as a singer, I certainly do. I also appreciate good settings of text, and knowing/learning the Italian/German/French/Russian words of that music. (I have made a lifelong study of languages as part of my serious commitment to being a good singer, even if the professional aspect has long since passed me by.)
And I thought about another Egyptian opera, Aïda.
Glass' approach to Akhnaten leaves us at a distant, ceremonial remove from the characters initially, and seldom does he give us tools and reasons to actually care about the characters. The Met actually reinforced this sterile emotional distance by showing very few subtitles. A lot of the words were in (I guess) ancient Egyptian. It's almost like looking at an Egyptian frieze. If that was his aim, he was successful.
Akhnaten is an opera in four acts, and the first act opens with the death of Amenhotep III, father of Amenhotep IV who later changes his name to Akhnaten, "spirit of Aten," the sun god. We have no information on these characters, and they move slowly in stylized half-time. None of their music makes us like them, or feel concern for their plight. The "words" to the music are inaccessible. The only person I actually felt sorry for was the poor juggler who dropped his balls twice, each time having to show remorse to the sun god. Or something.
Amenhotep's heart is removed and weighed against a feather to determine if he will pass into the afterlife. Amenhotep's son is crowned the new pharaoh. After, he ascends the stairs to make his first statement in "The Window of Appearances." This is one of the most popular set pieces in the opera, apparently. But like so much of the opera, it felt like a missed opportunity. He announces his dedication to "one creator, one maker of all things." (Fortunately, there are some YouTube performances with subtitles.) The whole piece is an eight-minute arpeggio in A minor. It's Akhnaten (powerfully acted and well-sung by countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo) singing solo at the beginning, later joined by Queen Tye, soprano, his (recently widowed) mother, and his wife Nefertiti, mezzo. All the words are in Egyptian. No subtitles from the Met. (Sigh.) The "melody" is a simple motif repeated over and over by Akhnaten, then harmonized by the two female voices.
Glass' music is described as "mesmerizing" and "dazzling." Well that may be well and good, but I don't want to be hypnotized. I want to feel passion and care about the characters. I want some good tunes! It is only in Act II where Akhnaten sings his private thoughts in English that I actually care about what happened to him. And even there, the "melody" was a simplistic motif, not at all memorable.
Compare this with Aïda, where (accompanied by some bang-up music and intelligible lyrics) we almost immediately start to care about the characters and their passions. Glass largely eschews all that.
Look, I know that we can't remain stuck musically in 1850. And unlike some folks who described this (without hearing it) as "awful howling," I recognize that it has some appeal, even for me. The music is innovative, even to the point of having no violins in the orchestra which gives it a rather low center of gravity. But it could have been so much better. There is a love duet central to Act II where Akhnaten and Nefertiti bond and swear their love. But it's another missed opportunity. "O dolci mani" it ain't. Instead, they sing "Ah! Ah! Ah!" about 86 times, or 142.
This is all one man's opinion. I enjoyed the production immensely, but all the juggling and the incomprehensible chorus shouting, all the dropping balls, sun scenery, fairly came across as an apology for the lack of musical or dramatic or vocal interest.
Kind regards, :tiphat:
George