"**Akhnaten**" by Philip Glass at the Gran Teatre del Liceu

From October 16th to November 3rd, 2025, you can see Aknaten by Philip Glass at the Gran Teatre del Liceu. It is the premiere of this show in Barcelona, which premiered at the Württembergische Staatstheater Stuttgart on March 24, 1984.

The libretto is by Philip Glass in collaboration with Shalomon Goldman, Robert Israel, and Richard Riddell.

Philip Glass, a highly influential North American composer with a catalog that includes film soundtracks, chamber music, dance music, symphonies, plays, and various forms of opera, decided to dedicate a trilogy of operas to great revolutionary figures in history. After Einstein on the Beach (1976), which dealt with notions of time and space, and Satyagraha (1980), in which he explored spiritual and political revelation of nonviolence through Gandhi, there came Aknathen (1984), the culmination of this imposing portrait project.

Akhnaten tells the story of one of the world's most influential figures: the first pharaoh who went from worshipping a pantheon of gods to just one: he made Ra, the Sun, the sole deity of his kingdom. The multi-award-winning countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo will embody the complex lead role, alongside Rihab Chaieb as Nefertiti.

Using texts from the era (ancient hymns, prayers, and inscriptions sung in their original Egyptian, Hebrew, and Akkadian), including a poem by Akhenaton himself, the work covers his brilliant reign from his accession to the throne after the death of his father Amenophis III until his downfall. Akhnaten contains some emblematic moments of minimalist music, such as the fabulous Coronation scene!

Glass constructed an opera by delving into the invisible forces that affect the internal (psychological), interpersonal (political), and universal (mystical) aspects of existence, themes uniquely represented by the composer's fascinating musical lines. There is a fascinating treatment of the deepest feelings of the main characters (excitement, satisfaction, despair) by dealing with them through musical forms such as glorious hymns, obsessive repetitions, and painful laments: sounds that come from the depths of the soul of the characters.

Set during the 17 years of Akhenaton's reign, around 1350 BC, Akhnaten transports the audience to this world of ancient Egypt full of fascinating rituals and codes. The music of the great Philip Glass combines his characteristic minimalist ingenuity with a beautiful production by Phelim McDermot (Metropolitan Opera House and English National Opera) of stylized movements, with the Gandini Juggling company performing choreographed juggling and a sumptuous characterization by Kevin Pollard.

We are facing one of the most outstanding national premieres of the last decades. A hypnotic score and a sensual staging full of visual magic.