Forget narrative. Philip Glass's Satyagraha (1980) asks you to abandon yourself to theatre of contemplation. Resist its spell and look for story and soap values and you will be bewildered and irritated, as clearly some were at the first night of ENO's faultless new production by Phelim McDermott and Improbable, designed by Julian Crouch.
Such mulishness is a shame, because Glass is a creative force of generosity and originality. Ever since his explosion onto the American music scene in the 1970s, his pulsating, oscillating harmonies and glowing melodies have ravished some and infuriated others. Yet his music was a catalyst for change, and three decades on remains a strong, unmistakable voice.
Satyagraha, sung in Sanskrit, explores nonviolent resistance. The human fulcrum is Gandhi, superbly realised by Alan Oke, who gathers dignity inch by inch as indignity is thrust upon him. Cast and chorus gave their all. Johannes Debus, conducting, steered the orchestra with impassioned clarity.
At times in this long evening, tiredness induced ragged detail, for this music demands fierce concentration. Whoever thinks it featureless should try playing it.
The guiding visual metaphor is the newspaper, transformed variously into screens, banners and staggeringly effective puppets - silent papier-m‚chè giants more than six metres high. And in a stroke of pure genius, rolls of Sellotape are stretched into a quivering stave across the wide stage, then gathered like sticky insect wings. Such magical tableaux create an event field on which the music meditates.
Enthusiastic applause showed that the doubters are well in retreat.
In repertory until 1 May. Information: 0870 145 0200, www.eno.org
English National Opera: Satyagraha
London Coliseum
St Martin's Lane, WC2N 4ES
