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November 21, 2010

Akhnaten - Philip Glass [1983]


Open are the double doors of the horizon,
Unlocked are its bolts.

The constellations stagger,
Clouds darken the sky,
The stars rain down,
The bones of the hell hounds tremble,
The porters are silent when they see this king dawning as a soul.

Open are the double doors of the horizon,
Unlocked are its bolts.
- Libretto, Act 1 Prelude, Refrain, Verse 1, Verse 2



"Plot": Akhenaten, Pharaoh of 18th Egyptian dynasty, rules for 17 years, dies circa 1335BC but not before causing an unrighteous kerfuffle by abandoning polytheism and introducing monotheistic worship centered on sun god Aten. Priests not happy. It doesn't take.

Commissioned and performed by the Stuttgart State Opera, Akhnaten is the last installment in Philip Glass's trilogy of portrait operas on the heels of Einstein on the Beach, and Satyagraha.

Akhnaten has more warmth and depth than the cold precision of Einstein, and more grit and texture than Satyagraha. Neo-classical feel despite no violins.

Stirring stuff.

Oddi wrth y brawd
μόνος
θεός


4 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you for this.
Just came across your wonderful blog, you have an amazingly good taste in music!

Y Brawd said...

Thank YOU. Keep on visiting.

Unknown said...

it looks very favorable representative! would like to try it!

Y Brawd said...

then make it so Ms. S.