I will not deny that three hours and forty-five minutes is a long night at the opera, even at the swank and prime people-watching venue The Metropolitan Opera House. I consider myself a full-fledged Glass fan, but I also think that the first act of Satyagraha is the strongest, the second act opens strongly, and third is a little dull. So when 11:45 rolled around, I sighed a scale-trilling, repetitive sigh of relief. It’s not like I could follow anything resembling a story; not that I was looking for one.
But, generally speaking, I loved it. I really do dig Glass’ music. The “repetitiveness” is actually deceptive. When he’s in a groove, nearly every run is a slight permutation on the one prior. And trying to follow the course of one instrument line feels like isolating a cell under a microscope.
Anyway, here’s what the NY Times had to say.
