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.
The title refers to Gandhi's concept of nonviolent resistance to injustice, satyagraha, and the text, from the Bhagavad Gita, is sung in the original Sanskrit. In performance, translation is usually provided in supertitles.
Satyagraha was commissioned by the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands, and first performed at the Schouwburg[nl] (Municipal Theatre) there on September 5, 1980, by the Netherlands Opera, featuring the choir of the Rotterdam Conservatory and the Utrecht Symphony Orchestra[nl], conducted by Bruce Ferden[de].[1]
The opera premiered in North America at the Artpark in Lewiston, New York, on July 29, 1981. That production was mounted later that year at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.[2] The opera was also staged that same year by the Stuttgart Opera (which went on to perform the complete trilogy in 1990); this production was taped during its revival in 1983 and released on video.[3]
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]
A new staging by the English National Opera and Improbable theatre, co-produced by the Metropolitan Opera, opened in London in April 2007[8] and in New York in April 2008.[9] It was revived in London in February 2010[10] and in New York in November 2011; the New York performance on November 19 was part of the Met Opera: Live in HD series. It aired on Great Performances from PBS in 2012, Season 39 Episode 19 on March 22 and March 25.[11] The Metropolitan Opera's 2011 production was streamed online on June 21 and November 1, 2020.[12][13]
On September 16, 2014, a new production was staged at the Ekaterinburg State Academic Opera in Russia. The creative team included Thaddeus Strassberger (direction and scenic design), Mattie Ullrich (costume design) and Oliver von Dohnányi (conductor).
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]
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Satyagraha_(opera), and is written by contributors.
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