Thread by @thrasherxy, Public Service Reminder: The Met Opera is streaming Philip Glass's AKHNATEN for [...]

Public Service Reminder: The Met Opera is streaming Philip Glass's AKHNATEN for the next 23 hours. Free, no login required. Sally and I paid a small fortune to see this performance live, and honestly it's much better online than live. Karen Kamensek conducts in her Met debut.

That moment when Akhenaten has been built up for an hour and has been parading around the stage without sound and finally sings and—SURPRISE—our Pharaoh is a countertenor!!!

As I wrote last year, I am my dad’s (gay) son in that my dad would get excited about who was pitching when we saw a Dodgers game & I, I get excited when I see who’s conducting a Glass opera or symphony.

I’d pay for a cam just on Kamensek in the pit here for 3 hours.

While you’re watching/listening, I’ve been very fortunate to write about and work with Glass over the last decade. I’ll share a few. Here’s a 2012 cover story I wrote on his 75th birthday, shortly after Satygraha was at the Met during Occupy Wall Street https://www.villagevoice.com/2012/02/01/philip-glasss-life-as-an-east-village-voice/

Also in 2012, I reviewed Einstein on the Beach for Rolling Stone https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/philip-glass-einstein-on-the-beach-receives-a-powerful-revival-187062/

Philip Glass' 'Einstein on the Beach' Receives a Powerful Revival

Early opera goes on tour for composer's 75th birthday

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/philip-glass-einstein-on-the-beach-receives-a-powerful-revival-187062/

This stunning scene in Act II of Aknaten makes clear how much Glass's operas, no matter who directs them (this one by Phelim McDermott) are influenced by Robert Wilson's direction in Einstein.

Glass's original portrait trilogy included Einstein, Satygraha (Ghandi) & Akhnaten

In 2014, two amazing things happened for me with Glass's solo piano.

First, I got to review Glass's complete etudes for
@alexneedham74
at the Guardian, which I thought might be the last thing I might write about him. But... https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/08/philip-glasss-etudes-the-sound-of-a-lifetime

Philip Glass's Etudes: the sound of a lifetime

Seeing the work of two decades compressed into an evening was immensely satisfying as America’s greatest living composer stakes his claim for immortality

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/08/philip-glasss-etudes-the-sound-of-a-lifetime

SURPRISE!

Glass and Decca Records asked me to write the liner notes and booklet for Valentina Lasitsa's 3-hour recording of Glass as solo piano. My text was translated into English & French. You can buy it here - Lasitsa's performance is beautiful. https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/catalogue/products/valentina-lisitsa-plays-philip-glass-10942

VALENTINA LISITSA plays PHILIP GLASS

VALENTINA LISITSA plays PHILIP GLASS

https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/catalogue/products/valentina-lisitsa-plays-philip-glass-10942

I was blessed to see this live, but My Pharaoh, this is what I needed at this moment in the pandemic—to look at these cinematic scenes which I saw IRL, and to actually feel their artistry even MORE in the recording. Grateful.

This is seriously one of the only times I’ve felt true joy watching something online that I had previously experienced IRL.

Can every theater/art/talk event moved online be so joyful, please?

Indeed @parabasis

This aria in Act II (Hymn), my goodness—up there for me with the one at the end of Act III of Satygraha, when Ghandi is singing to his future dream of MLK

Anthony Roth Costanzo’s voice is out of this world—and he nearly lost his voice to cancer before this production https://www.npr.org/2019/10/07/767216524/after-nearly-losing-his-voice-to-cancer-anthony-roth-costanzo-takes-on-akhnaten

After Nearly Losing His Voice To Cancer, Anthony Roth Costanzo Takes On 'Akhnaten'

Ten years ago, Costanzo had surgery that threatened to destroy his singing voice. Now the countertenor is starring as a gender-fluid Egyptian pharaoh in a new production by the Metropolitan Opera.

https://www.npr.org/2019/10/07/767216524/after-nearly-losing-his-voice-to-cancer-anthony-roth-costanzo-takes-on-akhnaten

Ok, this I remember from the hall @asduner @parabasis—I breathing got so shallow & slow at the end of Act II, as the chorus hauntingly sung from the wings & Akhenaten, our sun god, climbed the stairs. Still takes my breath away. My Pharaoh!

Alright, I’m going to take a an intermission before heading into Act III, but first I’ll tell one of my favorite Glass stories. In 1984 Aknaten was set to premiere at Stuttgart opera house but due to construction, it was moved to Stuttgart’s State Theater.

There was a problem.

The orchestra pit in the state theater was smaller than the opera house & could fit 20 fewer musicians.

“I’ll cut the violins,” Glass said. Rather then shrink the whole orchestra! And he did!

This is why the strings are all cello & viola & the score is so gorgeously low.

Ok, time for Act III

This time, the subtitles work https://twitter.com/AdrianCJax/status/1327435448315224064

https://twitter.com/AdrianCJax/status/1327435448315224064

Can’t believe we are already to the epilogue, and there is something that must be said of Anthony Roth Costanzo: He is a phenomenal actor. There are huge swarms of time where he doesn’t sing and yet he’s SO expressive in his face and body. Amazing to see up close...

These three!

I’m a sucker for Glass flute motifs, and the construction of the structural wind repeats at the end of this opera are just...and then when the oboes and clarinets and horns climb to the final chords...

And now we’re to the end, sadly.

This production was beautifully directed for Met HD by Gary Halvorson.

It was so beautiful.

Ok, the most magical thing about Met Live HD is when they interview ppl backstage. And this one is with @milimusique takes the cake. He is in the odd position as a VIOLIST to be concert master (see above

Glass axing all the violins) & he’s bursting with joy. It’s beautiful!

Ok, the most magical thing about Met Live HD is when they interview ppl backstage. And this one is with @milimusique takes the cake. He is in the odd position as a VIOLIST to be concert master (see above Glass axing all the violins) & he’s bursting with joy. It’s beautiful!

And now an interview with Maestro Kamensek—I love this woman’s calm and her confidence. Her answer to why she wasn’t nervous about her Met debut is

Alright, y'all, just one more tweet after this...But first, @cleogirl2525 makes me feel like my work is almost done for the evening. In 2012, I set abt wanting to do my part to share the joy of Glass & glad I did. Glad I could share the joy! https://twitter.com/cleogirl2525/status/1327838663426912260