Satyagraha

'It's like Marmite,' offered tenor Alan Oke in a recent radio interview, 'you either like it or you don't.' He was referring to 'Satyagraha', Philip Glass's minimalist opera, in which he stars, depicting the early struggles of Mahatma Gandhi. It comprises three hours of endlessly repeating, over-extended orchestral and vocal figures; and with the soundscape scored for just strings and woodwind, the effect is like a cantata accompanied by a giant Wurlitzer.

Did I mention that the libretto is in Sanskrit? Without studying the copious programme notes, only a Gandhi scholar could figure out what is going on. Still, credit to the Improbable team - director Phelim McDermott and designer Julian Crouch - who manage to keep us visually entertained with the inventive use of newspapers and Sellotape. Of the singers, Oke is superb, a surprisingly full voice from his suitably Gandhi-esque frame; and Janis Kelly's incisive soprano is a treat. Conductor Stuart Stratford keeps his orchestra awake and on track throughout in a spirited account of the score.