Exploring complicated historical narratives
Religious Pluralism at the Opera
by Jane Fitzpatrick
Opera: A Space for Faiths
Opera has told stories of faith and humanity for centuries, and they continue to inspire conversations about the past, present, and future of religious pluralism in a variety of modern contexts.
Many operas find inspiration in religious traditions: from Philip Glass’s sun god in Akhnaten, to the Norse gods of Wagner’s Ring cycle, to the Hebrew slaves in Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco, to Francis Poulenc’s female martyrs in Dialogues des Carmelites. The successes of these works come from widespread and ongoing support from a diversity of audiences around the world. People of all traditions and backgrounds find common ground in the humanity displayed through composers’ heroes and foes, giving grace and vitality to rituals and prayers that connect the stories of old with the faiths of today’s world.
Enter: The Death of Klinghoffer
Art invites audience members to bring their unique perspectives and come away with something newly inspired. Operas create space for learning and sharing—an opportunity to let one’s perspectives find a new light. This is a theme particularly seen in the contemporary work of composer John Adams. His second opera, The Death of Klinghoffer, has inspired international dialogue that takes shape under current perspectives regarding the histories of the Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, and Palestinian peoples.
The Death of Klinghoffer recalls the hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in 1985, an attack that led to the murder of a Jewish-American guest named Leon Klinghoffer. The hijackers were members of the Palestinian Liberation Front, inspiring the opera’s creative team to explore the larger historical narratives of Israeli, Jewish, Palestinian, and Muslim peoples.
John Adams’s The Death of Klinghoffer premiered in 1991 at the Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels. Responses were reportedly “lukewarm,” with nods to what audiences saw as politically controversial themes. A scheduled performance of the work was cancelled in Los Angeles soon after the article was published, and the events of 9/11 led to even more cancellations in North America just a few years later. It seemed as though The Death of Klinghoffer was doomed to be buried, particularly for American audiences who felt that an artful display of sympathy toward the history behind a group of Muslim terrorists would test the delicate boundaries of the current political climate.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra revised the program for its concert in November 2001 by eliminating the planned performance of several chorus excerpts taken from John Adams’s The Death of Klinghoffer. The announcement of the revision became public on November 1st, and it was claimed to be an attempt to “err on the side of being sensitive” in light of the recent terrorist attack in September.
Photo: A. Strakey, CC 2.0 BY ND
Years later, in 2014, the Metropolitan Opera lifted its curtains on the production with plans to livestream and record one of the performances for its Met Live in HD series. Protesters gathered in front of the New York City theatre, claiming that the opera was antisemitic, and while the show went on with only minor interruption, the simulcast was ultimately cancelled.
Despite the success of John Addams’s previous work, Nixon in China, theatres across the world became hesitant to test his second opera’s narrative on their stages, due to its internationally spread controversy. The Death of Klinghoffer has rarely been performed since 2014.
Grappling with History
Unsurprisingly, incorporating the stories of Israeli-Palestinian conflict sparked critical reviews for the opera.
Peter Sellars, originator of the opera’s conceptual designs, responded to the criticism, saying, “We did not intend to make of it a political piece, but like all that we do, this is of course political.”
The most critical reviews that face The Death of Klinghoffer often cite the work as too sympathetic toward Palestinians and/or antisemitic in its references to the political history of Israelis and Palestinians.
Peter Gelb - Photo: The Metropolitan Opera
General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera Peter Gelb responded to protests of his theatre’s production of the work in 2014 in The Guardian by saying, “I’m convinced that the opera is not anti-semitic...but I've also become convinced that there is genuine concern in the international Jewish community that the live transmission of The Death of Klinghoffer would be inappropriate at this time of rising anti-Semitism, particularly in Europe."
Respect for Jewish communities has been a critical part of criticism and defamation of John Adams’s opera, though many are hopeful that the empathy that the composer expresses toward both Israeli and Palestinian peoples in his work will be seen as the artistic creation of a safe space for all, in the future. Telling the stories of Palestinians and Muslims is not the erasure of the stories of Israelis and Jews but rather an opportunity for connection and peace. Adams’s work is an expression of the unique history shared among all of these stories, including the tragedies, crimes, and the hopes. Through the pain and sorrow, though there have been tormentors and victims on all sides, there is also shared humanity.
What’s next for Klinghoffer?
John Adams - Photo: Wikipedia
John Adams himself received a standing ovation as the conductor for a concert performance of his The Death of Klinghoffer in June 2023 at the Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. The opera hadn’t received much attention since it was protested at the Met in 2014, but a roaring applause in Amsterdam bodes well for upcoming scheduled performances at NorrlandsOpera in Umeå, Sweden this fall.
Does this change in audience response mean a monumental change in the political climate has taken shape? Maybe, maybe not, but the opera’s rise from the ashes does carry the flag for religious pluralism and political peace onward through the international stages. Where audiences can enjoy the songs of both Adams’s Jewish and Palestinian chorus pieces and feel empathy for the humanity expressed through all performers of Adams’s work is where interfaith peace can truly flourish.
Header Photo: Unsplash