Log in
Philip Glass: Satyagraha

Philip Glass: Satyagraha

2011 · 184 min · ★ 8.0 · Music

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 non-violent resistance in South Africa between 1896 and 1913. The opera became the second installment of Glass’s Portrait Trilogy, focused on innovators from across history. Satyagraha arrived at the Met during the 2007–08 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.

Directed by Phelim McDermott · Written by Constance DeJong

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Rent or Buy

Apple TV Store

Cast

Make it a double feature

5h 56m together

Philip Glass: Satyagraha

The Metropolitan Opera: Akhnaten

Both from Phelim McDermott.

More from Phelim McDermottSee all →

The Metropolitan Opera: AkhnatenThe Metropolitan Opera: Akhnaten · 2019
The Metropolitan Opera: Akhnaten
★ 9.02019
MovieMusicHistory
Philip Glass’ opera “Akhnaten”, premiered in Stuttgart in 1984, forms the third part of the portrait opera trilogy about personalities who have influenced the course of human history. The conclusion of the trilogy deals with the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten, who attempted to establish a kind of monotheistic cult around the god Aton during his reign in the 14th century BC, but failed due to the resistance of the priesthood. The production presented here was undoubtedly one of the very great successes of the 2019/20 season at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, due not only to the outstanding cast of singers (led by countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo) but also to Phelim McDermott’s imaginative staging, which captivates with sometimes breathtaking imagery.
Tomorrow La Scala!Tomorrow La Scala! · 2002
Tomorrow La Scala!
★ 8.02002
MovieComedy
Members of a British opera troupe mount a production of "Sweeney Todd" within a maximum-security prison.
The Baby of MâconThe Baby of Mâcon · 1993
The Baby of Mâcon
★ 6.81993
MovieDramaHistory
In 17th-century Tuscany, a church play is performed for the benefit of young aristocrat Cosimo. In the play, a grotesque old woman gives birth to a beautiful baby boy. The child's older sister is quick to exploit the situation, selling blessings from the baby, and even claiming she's the true mother by virgin birth. However, when she attempts to seduce the bishop's son, the Church exacts a terrible revenge.
Glass: The Perfect AmericanGlass: The Perfect American · 2013
Glass: The Perfect American
★ 6.02013
MovieMusic
The last days of the American icon Walt Disney form a powerful and poignant subject for Philip Glass's latest opera, which was filmed at its first performances in Madrid in January 2013.
Robin HoodRobin Hood · 1991
Robin Hood
★ 5.71991
MovieAdventureDrama
The Swashbuckling legend of Robin Hood unfolds in the 12th century when the mighty Normans ruled England with an iron fist.
The Metropolitan Opera: The HoursThe Metropolitan Opera: The Hours · 2022
The Metropolitan Opera: The Hours
2022
MovieMusicDrama
Renée Fleming makes her highly anticipated return to the Met in the world-premiere production of Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Kevin Puts’s The Hours, adapted from Michael Cunningham’s acclaimed novel. Inspired by Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway and made a household name by the Oscar-winning 2002 film version starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman, the powerful story follows three women from different eras who each grapple with their inner demons and their roles in society. The exciting premiere radiates with star power, with Kelli O’Hara and Joyce DiDonato joining Fleming as the opera’s trio of heroines. Phelim McDermott directs this compelling drama, with Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin on the podium to conduct Puts’s poignant and powerful score.
The Enchanted Island, a Baroque pasticheThe Enchanted Island, a Baroque pastiche · 2012
The Enchanted Island, a Baroque pastiche
2012
MovieMusic
A contemporary take on the 17th-century genre of the pastiche, this delightful Baroque fantasy brings together some of the greatest arias and ensembles by Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau, Purcell, and other composers with a new English libretto by Jeremy Sams, inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The all-star cast is headed by David Daniels as Prospero, Joyce DiDonato as Sycorax, Danielle de Niese as Ariel, Luca Pisaroni as Caliban, and the legendary Plácido Domingo as Neptune. Early music specialist William Christie conducts this dazzling world-premiere production, designed and directed by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch.
Aida: Grand Théâtre de GenèveAida: Grand Théâtre de Genève · 2019
Aida: Grand Théâtre de Genève
2019
MovieMusic
British director Phelim McDermott offers the audience a new take on the culture of the people of Ancient Egypt in Aida, one that allows us also to question the world in which we live. This new perspective entails a number of bold creative choices that do not make use of the traditional staging imagery associated with Aida. Aida’s command to Radames — “Ritorna vincitor!” — comes at a price. The triumphal march of the victorious Egyptians is a procession for the coffins of the heroes fallen in battle, the chorus are their grieving kinsfolk. McDermott’s staging resonates keenly with the images of so many civilian and military funerals that crowd our newsfeeds. Here is a triumphal march that does not seek to hide the true, lethal and disastrous nature of war, whatever side you are on.

More Like This

Couldn't load this row right now.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter