Akhnaten

Akhnaten (1984) is the final panel of American composer Philip Glass’ Portrait Trilogy—three operas, each exploring historical figures whose philosophies shaped their age. While Einstein on the Beach (1975) focuses on Einstein’s impact on science, and Satyagraha (1980) explores the political influence of Gandhi, Akhnaten looks at religion, and the Egyptian pharaoh’s move from polytheism to monotheism. Plot is less important than a meditative sequence of ideas and encounters, but the opera traces the new pharaoh’s accession in 1350 BC, Akhnaten’s rejection of old religious traditions, and the construction (and, ultimately, destruction) of monuments to his own. A present-day tour guide provides a parallel story, while we witness the royal family journey into the afterlife. The score is typical of the American minimalist’s style: patterns—rhythmic and harmonic—circle in hypnotic repetition, often undergoing slow-phase transformation and variation within each self-contained episode. For pragmatic reasons Glass omitted violins from his orchestra. The effect is striking; dark tones dominate in the woodwinds and low strings, occasionally illuminated by piccolo, flute, or Akhnaten himself—a countertenor, fragile and brilliant against so many lower voices. His wife Nerfertiti is sung by a contralto, creating a wonderful sensuality as the two voices intertwine interchangeably. Akhnaten’s Act II “Hymn to the Sun” is the work’s lyrical climax: a musical statement of belief that blazes in A major, bright against the louring A minor that dominates the rest of the score.