Philip Glass Satyagraha (2011)

Following the success of his first foray into opera Einstein on the Beach revolutionary American composer and musician Philip Glass soon turned to another great figure of the 20th century for inspiration Set to lines from the Hindu Bhagavad Gita Satyagraha depicts scenes from the life of Gandhi as he developed his philosophy of nonviolent resistance in South Africa between 1896 and 1913 The opera became the second installment of Glasss Portrait Trilogy focused on innovators from across history Satyagraha arrived at the Met during the 200708 season when director Phelim McDermott made his debut with a production that employed everyday materials like newspaper and corrugated tin to create towering puppets and striking tableaus In 2011 his staging returned this time recorded live in HD In this performance tenor Richard Croft gives a moving performance as Gandhi leading a remarkable ensemble cast conducted by Dante Anzolini