Satyagraha
Photo: Yonathan Kellerman ©
What is Gandhi’s influence on the contemporary political world? This is the question explored by Philip Glass’s opera Satyagraha (1980), the second in his trilogy devoted to historical figures, alongside Einstein on the Beach (1976) and Akhnaten (1984). But Satyagraha – Sanskrit for “truth force” – is not a biopic.
This work, with its mesmerising music, interweaves timelines, relating each of its three acts to a key figure linked to Gandhi in order to better understand the genesis of his political thought: Leo Tolstoy, with whom he corresponded; the poet Rabindranath Tagore, who supported him; and Martin Luther King, who was inspired by his principles of non-violence.
Satyagraha is entering the Paris Opera repertoire directed by Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, who have already created the dance piece Pit. For them, this opera “is not simply a meditation on history, but a call to action and a forceful lesson that rings ever more true today.”
Programme Essay
(Jacob Mallinson Bird, 2026)
Creative Team
Directors: Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber
Conductor: Ingo Metzmacher
Set Design: Christian Friedländer
Costume Design: Wojciech Dziedzic
Lighting Design: John Torres
Chorus Master: Ching-Lien Wu
Dramaturgy: Jacob Mallinson Bird
Photo: Yonathan Kellerman ©
Praise for Satyragraha
‘Led by a mesmerizing Anthony Roth Costanzo, Satyagraha at the Paris Opera dispenses with historical particularities for something for more elusive.’
Nigel Wilkinson, Parterre
‘A multifaceted study of confronting layered societal violence with unyielding commitment to the Gandhian principles, the Paris reading of Satyagraha examines the practice of justice and injustice across a plethora of contexts, ranging from martial law to gender equality, with myriad cultural references embedded, presenting us with a formidable retake on a true contemporary classic.’
Jari Kallio, Adventures in Music
‘You leave this performance spellbound, convinced that something significant took place at the Palais Garnier in the spring of 2026.’
CRASH Magazine
Glass taking his bow at the prémiere, April 10th 2026, Palais Garnier
Photo: Nathan Laine ©