New York's Lincoln Center presented two groundbreaking works by Philip Glass last week, when the New York Philharmonic and the Philip Glass Ensemble performed Koyaanisqatsi and the Metropolitan Opera gave the first of seven performances of the opera Satyagraha. The New York Times calls them "two of Mr. Glass’s most compelling scores." The New York Post calls Satyagraha "a masterpiece of musical and visual art." The AP calls it "spectacular," its music "frequently ravishing." Tuesday's performance includes a pre-concert talk by composer Nico Muhly and will be broadcast live on SIRIUS XM and the Met's website.
New York's Lincoln Center presented two groundbreaking works by composer Philip Glass last week, when the New York Philharmonic and the Philip Glass Ensemble gave two performances of his score to Godfrey Reggio's 1982 film Koyaanisqatsi in Avery Fisher Hall, and the Metropolitan Opera gave the first of seven performances of Glass's opera Satyagraha. This "gave New Yorkers a rare opportunity to hear two of Mr. Glass’s most compelling scores in quick succession," says New York Times music critic James R. Oestreich, who reports that the composer received "a hero's welcome" following Friday's performance of Satyagraha.
The New York Post's James Jorden calls Satyagraha (Sanskrit for "truth force") "a masterpiece of musical and visual art." Jorden concludes: "Opera companies, always eager for new audiences, should flock to the 'truth force' that is Satyagraha.” Read the complete review at nypost.com.
The Associated Press calls the production "spectacular," with reviewer Mike Silverman describing the music as "frequently ravishing." Read the AP review via the Washington Post at washingtonpost.com.
The Met production of Satyagraha, which runs through December 1, is the first revival of Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch’s 2008 production. The opera is based on Mahatma Gandhi’s early life in South Africa, where he developed the revolutionary philosophy of non-violent resistance that continues to be used in protests around the world. “Almost all the techniques of protest—now the common currency of contemporary political life—were invented and perfect by Gandhi during his South Africa years,” Glass has said.
McDermott and Crouch’s production uses a combination of large-scale puppetry, sets made of materials such as corrugated metal and newspaper, and projected supertitles to immerse the viewer in Glass’s poetic world. Conductor Dante Anzolini will lead a cast that features Richard Croft, reprising his critically acclaimed interpretation of Gandhi.
The performance of Satyagraha taking place tomorrow, November 8, includes a pre-concert talk by composer Nico Muhly. The performance will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS XM Channel 74 and will also be streamed live on the Met’s Web site, metopera.org. On November 19, the opera will be transmitted worldwide as part of The Met: Live in HD series, which is now seen in 1,600 movie theaters in 54 countries.
For more information, including numerous essays, videos, an audio slideshow, the libretto, and more and to purchase tickets, visit metopera.org.
To peruse Philip Glass's Nonesuch catalog, head to the Nonesuch Store, where most CD orders include high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s of the album at checkout.
Watch a preview of the Met's production of Satyagraha here:
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