Reviewed Tuesday 5th August 2014
Akhnaten is the first in a trilogy of operas, the others being
Einstein on the Beach, and
Satyagraha, which will be performed later in the week, the entire cycle to be performed three times during the month. These three works have been performed before in Adelaide, individually over a long period of time, and opera aficionados have long hoped for them to be performed as a cycle. Great excitement and anticipation accompany this event.
To be completely accurate, although this is the first of the operas presented in this cycle,
Akhnaten (1983) is the third opera that Glass wrote, with
Einstein on the Beach (1975) being the first written, then
Satyagraha (1979). They are portraits of people who have had enormous influence and changed history. Akhnaten had an impact on religion, being credited with the move to monotheism, Einstein had a great effect on science, and Ghandi, the subject of Satyagraha, had a major effect on politics.
The State Opera of South Australia are no strangers to ambitious projects. They have twice presented Wagner's Ring cycle, the first time a version imported from France and the second time an entirely new version of their own, the very first Australian Ring. This production is another world first for the company, as these three operas have never before been performed as a cycle. State Opera are no strangers to success and this trilogy looks set to be another event that will stay forever in the memories of those lucky enough to attend.
This opera takes us back to Ancient Egypt, to 1353BC, where Akhnaten is to become King Amenhotep IV after the death of his father, King Amenhotep III. We see the funeral and the coronation of Akhnaten who, incidentally, was the father of Tutankhamun. Akhnaten imposes his will by declaring Aten, the sun god, to be the 'one true god', rather than the pantheon worshipped previously by the Amon priests and populace. This change in religious thought includes the abolition of polygamy, and he takes as his only wife the famous beauty, Nefertiti. He builds a temple to Aten, called Akhetaten, but the Amon priests lead the people in a revolution, tearing down the temple and leaving Akhnaten and Nefertiti wandering in the wreckage.
The duo behind this project are the same who produced these works individually, Conductor and Chorus Master, Timothy Sexton, now CEO and Artistic Director of State Opera, and Director and Choreographer, Leigh Warren, whose Leigh Warren Dancers are such a major part of the operas.
Three forces are very important in this work, beginning with the Adelaide Art Orchestra who are entrusted with the enormous challenge of Glass's music, and what a magnificent job they do of it. They never cease to amaze with the extent of their abilities and versatility and their interpretation of this complex score reinforces their reputation. On stage, the State Opera Chorus are kept busy with the equally difficult choral work and, with their vast experience with a huge repertoire of both traditional and brand new operas, they are well equipped to tackle this piece. Their invaluable contribution to the excellence of this production cannot be overstated. Then there are the Leigh Warren Dancers whose presence accentuates and illuminates the action, their intricate movements showing a constant flow of choreographic ideas as Akhnaten's changes are implemented and the conflicts develop.
Glass delays the first singing by Akhnaten for over a half hour and the impact of the sensational countertenor, Tobias Cole, when he finally sings is enormous. The cast is full of Adelaide favourites, with contralto Cherie Boogaart as Nefertiti, and soprano Deborah Caddy as Queen Tye, Akhnaten's mother. The various combinations of these three voices give rise to some sublime harmonies and very emotional passages. Vocal blending is highly important and Sexton's selection of these three singers shows great care has been taken with this production.
Although this opera does not boast a large cast of principals, they are all have great expectations placed on them, and the same care has gone into the other choices: Andrew Turner as
Horemhab, Robert England
as Aye, Adam Goodburn
as narrator and High Priest of Amon, and Peter Furness
as Amenhotep and the Scribe. The work demands singers of this very high calibre if it is to succeed as well as this production has done. Those great expectations placed on both the soloists and chorus are not only in the complexity of the music, but in the words as well.
The opera does not have a narrative, as such, but is a series of brief episodes during Akhnaten's seventeen year reign. the text come from a diverse range of sources in several languages, ancient and modern, including English, German, Hebrew, Egyptian, and
Akkadian, taken from such sources as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, and a poem by Akhnaten. This is the highly unusual workload facing the singers, and the result was incredible.
Mary Moore's set is a mix of modern and ancient, as are her costumes. The set is dominated by steps leading up from either side to a central podium with, just behind and above these steps, an inverted pyramid. When Akhnaten declares Aten the one god, this pyramid splits and another pyramid, with a pattern of solar panels, for the sun god, drops into the resulting gap, the process reversing later with the overthrow. Geoff Cobham's lighting is superb, shifting subtly as time passes and events come and go.
This first opera in the trilogy was a clear hit with the audience and awakened strong desire to see the following two. There are only two more opportunities to see this exciting opera, if you can get a ticket, that is. Hurry.
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