A Composer's Notes

Philip Glass and the Making of an Opera

Philip Glass provides an intimate look at the inspiration, development, and production of his third opera, Akhnaten. Two productions of the opera premiere almost simultaneously, at the Stuttgart Opera and the Houston Grand Opera. Their dramatically different interpretations of Akhnaten make for a fascinating contrast in American and European theatrical values.

Filmed at rehearsals and performances in Germany and the United States. In Egypt, where he visits remaining evidences of Akhnaten, in Armana where he had moved his palace from Luxor to pursue his monotheistic worship. And in India, a country whose music influenced Glass in his formative years when he collaborated with Ravi Shankar. The film also looks back at two earlier Glass music-theater works: Einstein on the Beach and Satyagraha.

Nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.