Satyagraha, written in 1980, is the second in Philip Glass's famous "portrait"Â trilogy, which includes Einstein on the Beach (1975) and Akhnaten (1983-84). Satyagraha is based on Mohandas K. Gandhi's formative years in South Africa, when he developed his philosophy of non-violent protest as a powerful force for change, the Sanskrit word satyagraha literally meaning "truth"Â and "firmness,"Â or "force through truth."Â
Described by The Guardian as 'one of the most energizing and provocative forces in British theatre', Improbable's work is highly imaginative and spontaneous and often involves animation in performance, as witnessed in their first production 70 Hill Lane and the outdoor show Sticky. Phelim McDermott's and Julian Crouch's electrifying production of Shockheaded Peter enjoyed critically acclaimed runs in both London and New York City.
"With this co-production of Glass' masterpiece, Satyagraha, the Met's commitment to presenting important contemporary works on an on-going basis has been jump started,"Â said Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Met. Previously, Mr. Gelb had announced plans to present a modern work every season, beginning in the 2008-2009 season with John Adams's Doctor Atomic.
Says ENO Artistic Director John Berry, "ENO is pleased to be continuing its close creative collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera on another exciting new production. We are thrilled that Improbable have chosen to make their opera debut at ENO, and we welcome the return of Philip Glass to the company."Â
As part of their sponsorship of ENO's season, Sky & Artsworld are particularly keen to nurture productions that are inventive, contemporary and reach new audiences. This season they chose Satyagraha as the Sky Focus production, and it is made possible by their generous support. Satyagraha opens at the London Coliseum on April 5, 2007. The production will be presented by the Met in April 2008.
ENO and the Met created a sensation with their first co-production, Anthony Minghella's production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly, which played to sold-out houses in both theaters. It premiered first at ENO in 2005 and subsequently attracted huge attention when it opened the Met season in September 2006.
About ENO: ENO remains committed to creating new work for the stage with an eclectic range of creative teams from the diverse worlds of opera, theatre, dance and film. With 18 new productions over two seasons, most of them originating at ENO, and two works by living composers during the present season, ENO continues to reach out to new audiences and introduce fresh and exciting talent to the art form.
About the Met: The Met's co-production of Satyagraha with ENO is part of the company's larger initiative to commission new operas from contemporary composers, present modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, and provide a venue for artists to nurture their work, such as John Adams's Doctor Atomic (2008-09 season), John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles (2009-2010 season), and Osvaldo Golijov's world-premiere opera during the 2010-11 season. Earlier this year, the Met announced a groundbreaking commissioning program in partnership with New York's Lincoln Center Theater that provides renowned composers and playwrights with the resources to create and develop new works at the Met and Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater.
By www.metoperafamily.org
Posted December 20th, 2006 by ruzik_tuzik
