Satyagraha

The second in Philip Glass' trilogy about men who changed the world, Satyagraha's sub-text is politics. The opera is semi-narrative in form and deals with Mahatma Gandhi's early years in South Africa and his development of nonviolent protest into a political tool (Satyagraha is a Sanskrit word meaning 'truth force'). The first two acts each contain three scenes; the last is one continuous scene. Each act is dominated by a single historic figure (non-singing role) overlooking the action from above: the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore in Act I, the Russian author Leo Tolstoy in act II, the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., in Act III. In the scope of a traditional orchestra, Glass used a large string section for the first time in Satyagraha. His typically repetitive musical structures impart the music with a unique, definitely non-illustrative dimension and mirror the rhythm and melody of Hindu prayers.This deluxe Satyagraha lift-off box set contains a wonderful 24-page booklet.