Musical reviews: Satyagraha, M. K. Gandhi in South Africa
Satyagraha – M. K. Gandhi in South Africa
An opera in three acts by Philip Glass performed by the English National Opera (ENO) at the London Coliseum, Summer 2007.
Adapted from the text of the Bagavada Gita by Constance De Jong. Book by Philip Glass and Constance De Jong.
After last season’s spectacular performance of John Adams’ Nixon in China, one might be forgiven for having great expectations of ENO in this genre.
The Glass score did not disappoint, as a dazzling work of passionate and mystical intensity, with a worthy performance of it by the orchestra under Johannes Debus.
This production of Satyagraha though, had some serious structural flaws, both in the interpretation of the work as articulated artistically, as well as in the casting and performances by the soloists.
In general, there was a poor balance of forces between the soloists and the orchestra, with the soloists completely overwhelmed at times. While the props and set were indeed impressive, they sometimes seemed to lack any meaningful connection with the fundamental point of the work or indeed with Gandhi himself.
