Life Unending, for Ever and Ever!
Echnaton (Akhnaten)
Philip Glass
With Akhnaten, minimal-music pioneer Philip Glass created a monument to one of the most enigmatic figures in world history. In staging the story of the pharaoh’s rise and fall, Barrie Kosky offers us a vision rich in visuals and movement.
Thebes, around 1300 BCE: Amenhotep III has died. His son, Amenhotep IV, who later takes the name Akhnaten, is crowned pharaoh. The young pharaoh heralds the beginning of a new era: after destroying the temple of Amun, principal god of the polytheistic religion, he declares the sun god Aten to be the sole deity. But Akhnaten’s reign will not last. The Amun priesthood restores the old order, and Akhnaten, founder of the first known monotheistic religion, is overthrown.
In his stage production, Barrie Kosky dispenses with Egyptian iconography. Instead, we encounter a white stage environment, abstract visuals, and ritualized movement sequences, embedding Philip Glass’s hypnotic music in a kind of visual mantra.
Thebes, around 1300 BCE: Amenhotep III has died. His son, Amenhotep IV, who later takes the name Akhnaten, is crowned pharaoh. The young pharaoh heralds the beginning of a new era: after destroying the temple of Amun, principal god of the polytheistic religion, he declares the sun god Aten to be the sole deity. But Akhnaten’s reign will not last. The Amun priesthood restores the old order, and Akhnaten, founder of the first known monotheistic religion, is overthrown.
In his stage production, Barrie Kosky dispenses with Egyptian iconography. Instead, we encounter a white stage environment, abstract visuals, and ritualized movement sequences, embedding Philip Glass’s hypnotic music in a kind of visual mantra.
ACT 1
The old pharaoh Amenhotep III is dead. A scribe, who takes on different roles in the course of the opera, annouces his passing. The funeral takes the form of a gigantic ritual which the people of Thebes take part in. It concludes with a coronation ceremony for the son of Amenhotep III, conducted by his advisor Aye, his general Horemheb, and the high priest of Amon. The new pharaoh initially takes the name Amenhotep IV (»Amon is satisfied«) – a name that honours the most important deity in ancient Egypt’s extensive pantheon.
The old pharaoh Amenhotep III is dead. A scribe, who takes on different roles in the course of the opera, annouces his passing. The funeral takes the form of a gigantic ritual which the people of Thebes take part in. It concludes with a coronation ceremony for the son of Amenhotep III, conducted by his advisor Aye, his general Horemheb, and the high priest of Amon. The new pharaoh initially takes the name Amenhotep IV (»Amon is satisfied«) – a name that honours the most important deity in ancient Egypt’s extensive pantheon.
Shortly after ascending the throne, the new king changes his name to Akhnaten (»Effective for the Aten«) and in a joint profession of faith with his mother Tye and his wife Nefertiti, he declares he will found a new monotheistic religion. Aten, the god of the solar disc and light, is to immediately replace the old gods such as Amon and Ra. Akhnaten commands the population to worship only him as Aten’s son incarnate.
ACT 2
Akhnaten’s government pushes ahead with the religious transformation of Egypt, suppressing the old cults with violence where necessary. Supported by Tye and some followers, Akhnaten storms and destroys a temple in which a ritual in honour of Amon is being performed. In the duet that follows, Nefertiti and Akhnaten declare their deep love for each other. To break the power of the Amon priesthood once and for all, Akhnaten decides to leave Thebes and found a new capital: Akhetaten (»Horizon of the Aten«). Now that his revolution appears to be complete, he utters his Hymn to the Aten, a private prayer of his own composition. This is followed by a chorus singing Psalm 104 from the Old Testament, which displays similarities with the hymn.
ACT 3
Akhnaten, Nefertiti and their daughters lead a life that’s increasingly isolated from the outside world. Appeals for help from the pharaoh’s vassals from the north who are under threat from local warlords go unanswered and government business is neglected. A discontented mob led by Aye, Horemheb and the high priest of Amon storms the Pharaoh’s palace and kills Akhnaten. The administration of the new pharaoh, Tutankhamun, reinstates the ancient polytheistic religion. Akhnaten goes down in history as a »Great Criminal« and the cult of the Aten is eradicated. In a transition to the present time, the scribe now appears as a tourist guide explaining the archaeological site of Tell el-Amarna, where the ruins of Akhetaten lie. In the epilogue, Akhnaten, Nefertiti and Tye are heard singing in the afterlife.
Philip Glass
An opera in three acts [1984]
Libretto by Philip Glass in association with Shalom Goldman, Robert Israel, Richard Riddell, and Jerome Robbins
©1983 Dunvagen Music Publishers Inc.
Used by permission.
An opera in three acts [1984]
Libretto by Philip Glass in association with Shalom Goldman, Robert Israel, Richard Riddell, and Jerome Robbins
©1983 Dunvagen Music Publishers Inc.
Used by permission.
Premier on March 25, 2025
Recommended from grade 9
English, Egyptian, Aramaic, Akkadian, and German
3hr incl. intermission