“In order to perform this music well, you need to have a really deep ability to groove and pulse and to maintain a groove for sometimes 20 minutes on end, and that is a skill that any good rock drummer has, but it’s not a skill that you learn in a conservatory if you are studying classical music. It’s a commitment, and he’s an extraordinary role model for the rest of the cast.”Īucoin has his own - albeit less demanding - tests with the Glass piece, as its rhythmic vocabulary is closer to American popular music than the Western classical music used in most operas. “He has to shave his head, he has to appear fully nude, he has to memorize a couple hours’ worth of music that’s written in ancient Egyptian. “(Costanzo is) a sensitive artist and an intelligent one, a thoughtful one, and he’s really giving himself heart and soul to ‘Akhnaten,’ ” Aucoin said. 27, is directed by Phelim McDermott, conducted by LA Opera’s new Artist in Residence Matthew Aucoin, and stars Costanzo, J’nai Bridges and Stacey Tappan.

The piece, which will be presented at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles starting Saturday and running through Nov. It tells the story of the ancient Egyptian’s rise to power with his wife, Nefertiti, by his side, but his goal of converting people to worship only one god - the Sun God - brings his violent downfall.

“Akhnaten,” composed by Philip Glass, is drawn from history. There are lots of things that are happening in preparation.”

“Also they’re going to shave my head completely, not even a little hair, and they wax my entire body because in ancient Egypt everybody got rid of any hair.

Akhnaten la opera