Satyagraha (opera)
Satyagraha | |
---|---|
Opera by Philip Glass | |
Librettist | |
Based on | life of Mahatma Gandhi |
Premiere | September 5, 1980 |
Satyagraha (/ˈsɑːtjəˈɡrɑːhɑː/; Sanskrit सत्याग्रह, satyāgraha "insistence on truth") is a 1979 opera in three acts for orchestra, chorus and soloists, composed by Philip Glass, with a libretto by Glass and Constance DeJong.
Loosely based on the life of Mahatma Gandhi, it forms the second part of Glass's "Portrait Trilogy" of operas about men who changed the world, which also includes Einstein on the Beach and Akhnaten.
Glass's style can broadly be described as
The title refers to Gandhi's concept of
Roles
Role | Voice type |
---|---|
M. K. Gandhi | tenor |
Lord Krishna | bass |
Parsi Rustomji | bass |
Mrs Alexander | mezzo-soprano |
Mrs Naidoo | soprano |
Kasturbai | mezzo-soprano |
Mrs Schlesen | soprano |
Mr. Kallenbach | baritone |
Prince Arjuna | baritone |
Performance history
Satyagraha was commissioned by the city of
The opera premiered in North America at the
The Lyric Opera of Chicago presented the first production by a major international opera company on September 28, 1987, at the Civic Opera House. Douglas Perry sang the role of Gandhi.[4]
The UK premiere was a joint production by Bath Spa University and Frome Community College in the theatre of Kingswood School in Bath in 1997.[5]
There was a performance by San Francisco Opera at the War Memorial Opera House in 1989.[6]
Silviu Purcărete staged a new production of the opera in 2004 at the Theater Bonn, Germany, with a revival in 2013, with Ulrich Windfuhr conducting the Beethoven Orchester Bonn.[7]
A new staging by the
On September 16, 2014, a new production was staged at the
A new production by
On 18 November 2018, Vlaamse Opera premiered a production by director and choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, together with stage designer Henrik Ahr and costume designer Jan-Jan Van Essche[17]
Synopsis
The opera is in three acts, each referencing a major related cultural figure.[18]
Act 1
- On the Kuru Field of Justice
- Tolstoy Farm (1910)
- The Vow (1906)
Act 2
- Confrontation and Rescue (1896)
- Indian Opinion (1906)
- Protest (1908)
Act 3
- The Newcastle March (1913)
Recordings
- Sheryl Woods (Mrs. Naidoo), Douglas Perry (M.K. Gandhi); Christopher Keene (Conductor), New York City Opera orchestra and chorus. 1984 (Sony)
- D. Anzolini; Metropolitan Opera orchestra and chorus. 2021 (Orange Mountain Music)
See also
References
- ^ Satyagraha, philipglass.com
- ^ Donal Henahan, "'Satyagraha,' Tale of Ghandi, in Brooklyn," New York Times, November 9, 1981.
- ^ Mark Deming (2008). "Movies: About Philip Glass: Satyagraha". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 14, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ^ "Lyric Opera Stages a Transcendental Success". Chicago Tribune. 29 September 1987.
- ^ Johnson, Phil (February 20, 1997). "Review: Opera Satyagraha Kingswood School, Bath". The Independent. London. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
- ^ "OPERA REVIEW: San Francisco Opera Offers Satyagraha".
- ^ Lohmann, Gunild (June 10, 2013). "Philip Glass' Gandhi-Oper Satyagraha wieder auf dem Spielplan". General-Anzeiger (in German). Bonn.
- ^ Finch, Hilary (7 April 2007). "Satyagraha". The Times. London. Retrieved 23 May 2010. (subscription required)
- ^ "Satyagraha". Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2007.
- ^ "Satyagraha". Archived from the original on April 7, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
- ^ "GP at the Met: Satyagraha". Great Performances - PBS. 9 March 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- ^ "Nightly Opera Streams, June 15–21, 2020". www.metopera.org.
- ^ "Weekly Guide: October 26–November 1, 2020". www.metopera.org. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
- ^ "BAM Satyagraha". New York. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
- ^ Paget, Clive (October 30, 2018). "Aussie conductor Matthew Wood brings a Swedish Satyagraha to Brooklyn". Limelight Magazine. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
- ^ Schaefer, John (October 31, 2018). "Opera Takes To The Air In New Satyagraha Production". WNYC. New York. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
- ^ "Satyagraha - Philip Glass (°1937)".
- ^ "Satyagraha".
External links
- Satyagraha (1983 film) at IMDb
- Satyagraha at PhilipGlass.com
- "The Truth Force at the Met", Daniel Mendelsohn's review of Satyagraha from The New York Review of Books
- "В Екатеринбурге поставили «Сатьяграху»" (Ekaterinburg presents Satyagraha) by Gyulyara Sadiq-zade, Vedomosti, 18 September 2014 (in Russian)