Akhnaten Is Met Opera's May 28, 2022, Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: Akhnaten is Met Opera's May 28, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as 22nd of the 2021-2022 season's 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts.

Akhnaten, the third installment in Philip Glass's Portrait Trilogy, received its Metropolitan Opera premiere in autumn 2019 and experiences its first revival in spring 2022; Karen Almond/Met Opera photo of J'Nai Bridges (Nefertiti) and Anthony Roth Costanzo (Akhnaten), costumed by designer Kevin Pollard, in Akhnaten's 2019 premiere season: Philip Glass @philipglass, via Twitter Nov. 17, 2019

Glass's Akhnaten is Met Opera's May 28, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast, scheduled as the 22nd of the 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season.

Akhnaten by American composer Philip Glass (born Jan. 31, 1937) receives seven performances in the 2021-2022 season. The first and second performances took place Thursday, May 19, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 22, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The third through seventh, closing performances are scheduled for Wednesday, May 25, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 28, at 1:00 p.m.; Thursday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, June 5, at 3:00 p.m.; and Friday, June 10, at 7:00 p.m.

The 2021-2022 season's presentation of Akhnaten represents the first revival of Glass's ancient Egypt-themed opera. The Metropolitan Opera premiere of Akhnaten took place Friday, Nov. 8, 2019.

Karen Kamensek conducts the production's first revival. She reprises her conductorship from the opera's premiere season, 2019-2020. The American opera and orchestral conductor had made her Met Opera debut in the opera's premiere, Nov. 8, 2019.

Anthony Roth Costello sings the title role in his first reprisal of the pharaoah who unsuccessfully promoted a new religion. The American countertenor had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011, as Unulfo in the opera house’s 21st performance of Rodelinda by German, later British, Baroque composer George Handel (Feb. 23, 1685-April 14, 1759).

Akhnaten numbers as the second of two Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Anthony Roth Costello. He sang his Met Opera debut role of Unulfo in the March 19 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Handel's Rodelinda.

Rihab Chaieb sings Akhnaten's wife, Nefertiti. The Canadian-Tunisian mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016, as Zulma in the opera house’s 72nd performance of L’Italiana in Algeri by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868).

Dísella Lárusdóttir makes her first reprisal as Queen Tye, Akhnaten’s mother, who participates in her son's efforts to promote a monotheistic religion. The Icelandic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Monday, March 4, 2013, as Garsenda in the opera house’s 38th performance of Francesca da Rimini by Italian composer Riccardo Zandonai (May 28, 1883-June 5, 1944).

Aaron Blake reprises the role of the High Priest of Amon, who opposes the monotheistic religion promoted by Akhnaten, Queen Nefertiti and Queen Tye. The American tenor had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, March 29, 2017, as Gastone in the opera house’s 1,006th performance of La Traviata by 19th-century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

Richard Bernstein reprises Aye, Queen Nefertiti's father, who joins with Horemhab in inciting the population against the royal family. The American bass-baritone had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Oct. 7, 1995, as Zuniga in the opera house’s 828th performance of Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

Zachary James reprises Amenhotep IV, Akhnaten's father, whom he succeeded as pharoah. The American operatic bass had made his Met Opera debut in Akhnaten's Metropolitan Opera premiere, Friday, Nov. 8, 2019.

Will Liverman reprises Horemhab, Army commander-in-chief, who opposes Akhnaten's monotheistic campaigns. The American operatic baritone had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, as Malcom Fleet in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Marnie by American contemporary classical music composer Nico Asher Muhly (born Aug. 26, 1981).

Phelim McDermott directs Met Opera's production of Akhnaten. The English stage director had made his Met Opera debut Friday, April 11, 2008, in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Glass's Satyagraha.

Phelim McDermott's production team comprises Tom Pye, set designer; Kevin Pollard, costume designer; Bruno Poet, lighting designer; and Sean Gandini, choreographer. British production designer Tom Pye had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Sep. 23, 2013, in the opera house's 136th performance of Eugene Onegin by Russian late Romantic era composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840-Nov. 6, 1893). British costume designer Kevin Pollard made his Met Opera debut Friday, April 11, 2008, in Glass's Satyagraha, alongside Phelim McDermott. British lighting designer Bruno Poet and Cuban-born, London-based choreographer and juggler Sean Gandini made their Met Opera debuts in Akhnaten's Metropolitan Opera premiere, Friday, Nov. 8, 2019.

The takeaways for Akhnaten as Met Opera's May 28, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast are that Philip Glass's ancient Egypt-themed opera airs as the 22nd of 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season; that the 2021-2022 season's staging of Akhnaten represents the opera's first revival; and that Anthony Roth Costell, Dísella Lárusdóttir, Aaron Blake, Richard Bernstein, Zachary James and Will Liverman all reprised their roles from the opera's premiere season, 2019-2020.

Karen Kamensek makes her first reprisal as Akhnaten's conductor in the 2021-2022 season's first revival of Philip Glass's ancient Egypt-themed opera: MET Orchestra Musicians @METOrchestra, via Facebook Dec. 7, 2019

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Dedication

This post is dedicated to the memory of our beloved blue-eyed brother, Charles, who guided the creation of the Met Opera and Astronomy posts on Earth and Space News. We memorialized our brother in "Our Beloved Blue-Eyed Brother, Charles, With Whom We Are Well Pleased," published on Earth and Space News on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, an anniversary of our beloved father's death.

Image credits:

Akhnaten, the third installment in Philip Glass's Portrait Trilogy, received its Metropolitan Opera premiere in autumn 2019 and experiences its first revival in spring 2022; Karen Almond/Met Opera photo of J'Nai Bridges (Nefertiti) and Anthony Roth Costanzo (Akhnaten), costumed by designer Kevin Pollard, in Akhnaten's 2019 premiere season: Philip Glass @philipglass, via Twitter Nov. 17, 2019, @ https://twitter.com/philipglass/status/1196253729969840131⁩

Karen Kamensek makes her first reprisal as Akhnaten's conductor in the 2021-2022 season's first revival of Philip Glass's ancient Egypt-themed opera: MET Orchestra Musicians @METOrchestra, via Facebook Dec. 7, 2019, @ https://www.facebook.com/METOrchestra/posts/2583701628376881/

For further information:

“Debut: Anthony Roth Costanzo.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354199 Rodelinda {21} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/07/2011.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354199

"Debuts: Atalla Ayan, Aaron Blake." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356675 La Traviata {1006} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/29/2017.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356675

"Debuts: Denyce Graves, Barbara Frittoli, Richard Bernstein." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 322060 Carmen {828} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/7/1995.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=322060

"Debuts: Deborah Warner, Fiona Shaw, Tom Pye, Chloe Obolensky, Ian William Galloway, Finn Ross." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355023 New Production Eugene Onegin {136} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/23/2013.Metropolitan Opera Radio Sirius XM channel 74 Broadcast live Streamed at metopera.org Plazacast/Times Squarecast. Opening Night {129} Peter Gelb, General Manager.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355023

“Debuts: Dísella Làrusdóttir, Caitlin Lynch, Dustin Lucas.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354888 > Francesca da Rimini {38} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/4/2013.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354888

"Debuts: Karen Kamensek, Zachary James, J'Nai Bridges, Lindsey Ohse, Chrystal E. Williams, Annie Rosen, Suzanne Hendrix, Oscar Rempe-Hiam, Bruno Poet, Sean Gandini." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357309 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Akhnaten {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/08/2019.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357309

"Debuts: Marianna Pizzolato, René Barbera, Rihab Chaieb." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356485 L'Italiana in Algeri {72} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/04/2016.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356485

"Debuts: Phelim McDermott, Julian Crouch, Kevin Pollard, Paule Constable, Leo Warner, Mark Grimmer, 59 Productions, Dante Anzolini, Ellie Dehn, Skills Ensemble." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352481 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Satyagraha {1} Broadcast ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 04/11/2008.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352481

“Debuts; Robert Spano, Marie Te Hapuku, Stacey Tappan, Peabody Southwell, Gabriel Gurevich, Adrienne Phillips, Lynne Page, Will Liverman.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357028 Marnie {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/19/2018.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357038

Marriner, Derdriu. "Akhnaten Opens 2019-2020 Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcasts Dec. 7." Earth and Space News. Monday, Dec. 2, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/12/akhnaten-opens-2019-2020-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera's 2021-2022 Season Has 28 Saturday Matinee Broadcasts." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 22, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/11/met-operas-2021-2022-season-has-28.html

MET Orchestra Musicians @METOrchestra. "As each of us came into the pit today to warm up for what will be the final performance of Akhnaten, on every single music stand was a thank you note, personally written by the conductor, Karen Kamensek. Thank you for your appreciation and for this unforgettable collaboration, Maestra! Listen in, beginning at the top of the hour, as the Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast season begins for the 2019-2020 season." Facebook. Dec. 7, 2019.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/METOrchestra/posts/2583701628376881/

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Technical rehearsals for Phelim McDermott’s arresting new production of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten began this week. Take a first look at the innovative director’s breathtaking vision of ancient Egypt. Photo by Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera." Facebook. Aug. 8, 2019.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/10162303446240533

"Metropolitan Opera Premiere: Akhnaten." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357309 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Akhnaten {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/08/2019.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357309

Midgette, Anne. "A New Leader and New Sounds at the Met: Philip Glass’s Striking ‘Akhnaten.'" The Washington Post > Arts & Entertainment > Music > Review. Nov. 17, 2019.
Available @ https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/sing-like-an-egyptian-glasss-akhnaten-strikes-poses-in-new-met-production/2019/11/17/0be2f7da-08c8-11ea-924a-28d87132c7ec_story.html

Philip Glass @philipglass. “'Akhnaten' showed, he never really needed that establishment to begin with.'.... ⁦@classicalbeat. -- Met Opera's 'Akhnaten' shows classic side of Philip Glass -- The ⁦@washingtonpost." Twitter. Nov. 17, 2019.
Available @ https://twitter.com/philipglass/status/1196253729969840131⁩