Synopsis

One of the biggest hits of the 2019–20 season, Philip Glass's Akhnaten is the third installment in the composer's Portrait Trilogy focused on revolutionary figures from world history. Starring as the ancient Egyptian pharaoh who attempted to radically alter his society, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo headlines this performance from the Live in HD series. In her Met-debut season, Karen Kamensek conducts the hypnotic score, leading a cast that also features soprano Dísella Lárusdóttir as Queen Tye, mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges as Nefertiti, and bass Zachary James as Amenhotep I. Phelim McDermott's endlessly inventive production fills the Met stage with breathtaking visuals, including virtuosic pattern-juggling routines by Gandini Juggling.

Please note that Akhnaten will be performed without subtitles, except for scene titles and select texts. Director Phelim McDermott’s goal is to create a theatrical experience that is beyond words, plot information and conventional storytelling. He wants the audience for Akhnaten to be overtaken by the hypnotic nature of the music, the visual imagery and the pageant-like nature of the piece. The scribe sets the scene in English, and the rest of the text (including ancient Egyptian and Hebrew) which does not have subtitles is highly repetitive, often fragmented and ritualistic rather than descriptive.