Comments on: Akhnaten at Long Beach Opera

By: mclaren

mclaren — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:44:36 +0000

Since America is now the world’s torturer, devoted to killing and bombing our way across the planet for no discnerible purpose other than murdering large numbers of the world’s poorest people, the most appropriate form of American opera would involve a libretto in which America kill and rape and torture non-stop for 90 minutes.

Alas, this would make dull theater. Worse: bombing brown babies with napalm from 30,000 feet proves ill-suited to a sung accompaniment. Thus the unsatisfactory nature of contemporary American opera.

By: Tracey

Tracey — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 05:14:32 +0000

I saw Akhnaten this afternoon with Darryl Taylor singing the lead role. FABULOUS! is right.
Jochen Kowalski was on stage lip sinking (we were told that his voice was hampered by a cold) while Taylor sang off stage. At the final curtain call Kowalski and Taylor walked arm and arm on stage and Kowalski pushed Taylor to the front for a well deserved bow to a very appreciative audience.
It was my first opportunity to see a Phillip Glass opera. I hope to have another. TC

By: Ed

Ed — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 20:19:56 +0000

I loved everything about this opera, except for the countertenor. His songs are the highlights of the piece on the recording, but were just not very good in this production. My biggest problem was that he was hard to hear. He was drowned- out, sometimes completely, by other singers. And i was in second row!

But, again, it was overall magical. I’d like to know more about how those interactive projections worked.

By: drabauer

drabauer — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 05:59:44 +0000

Darryl Taylor will be singing Akhnaten on Sunday – he is fabulous.