Language:
English
Year of publication:
2014
Titel der Quelle:
Commentary
Angaben zur Quelle:
138,5 (2014) 30-34
Keywords:
Adams, John,
;
Jews in opera
;
Terrorism in literature
;
Antisemitism in literature
Abstract:
"The Death of Klinghoffer", an opera by John Adams dealing with the hijacking of the cruise ship "Achille Lauro" in 1985 by Palestinian terrorists and the murder of one of its passengers, the elderly American Jew Leon Klinghoffer, was produced for the first time in New York in 1991, and at that time it generated little protest and little acclaim. When, in 2014, it was produced at the Metropolitan Opera, it became the focus of strong protests on the part of the Jewish community, but received wild applause from critics and opera-goers. Although the producers at the Met excluded some blatantly antisemitic scenes from their 2014 production, "The Death of Klinghoffer" continues to justify anti-Jewish terrorism and remains offensive to Jews - at a time when antisemitism is on rise in the USA and worldwide. More importantly, opinion-makers and critics of 2014 are entirely comfortable with this side of the opera and have called the Jewish protests attacks on artistic freedom. The acceptance of "The Death of Klinghoffer" and the dismissal of its critics by the mainstream arts media seem to be terrifying milestones in the history of antisemitism and in the treatment of Israel.
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