County supervisor asks Los Angeles Opera to remove Wagner focus from 'Ring' fest
Wagner is still causing trouble. That brilliant bastard, whose anti-Semitic views earned him extra favor with the Nazis who came to power 50 years after the composer's death, is the understandable focus of a large-scale festival the Los Angeles Opera has planned in conjunction with the company's first presentation of the complete Ring Cycle in spring 2010.
Last month, I received an email from a music critic, Carie Delmar, who wrote:
I am the daughter of Holocaust survivors and I am opposed to an arts festival that is being touted by Los Angeles city and county leaders as the most massive arts festival to hit LA since the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival. The idea for the festival came from Placido Domingo and others within the umbrella of the Los Angeles Music Center, including music director James Conlon, who saw the financial benefits of such a festival to raise money to fund the company’s $32 million “Ring” cycle ... In spring 2010, the company will present three “Ring” cycles in concert with this arts festival – Ring Festival LA – which is basically a Richard Wagner Festival. More than 60 arts and educational organizations will present concerts, lectures, seminars and special events focused on or inspired by Wagner ... It is a known fact that Wagner was a rabid anti-Semite who ...
inspired Adolf Hitler and was the forerunner of the Nazi doctrine. Wagner wrote essays depicting Jews as insect life with hopes of their destruction. Hitler used Wagner’s music as a score or backdrop for his speeches at Nazi rallies and even as Jewish victims were hauled off to concentration camps. I believe that Ring Festival LA is an affront to Holocaust survivors who still associate Wagner’s name and music with the horrors they endured during the Nazi era. I have started a protest campaign to broaden the festival so that more composers are included to take the focus off Wagner ...
Supervisor Mike Antonovich agrees with me, that the festival should be broadened to include other composers. LA Opera called it a Wagner festival at the onset. After much pressure from the Jewish community, Rabbi Adlerstein at the Wiesenthal Center and from newspaper articles, LA Opera now has taken Wagner’s name out of much of their marketing materials and exchanged it for the word, “Ring.” They have also added a paragraph in their “Overview” to acknowledge Wagner’s anti-Semitism, and a couple of lectures are planned to address his racism. But the festival still has about 60 other events that add up to a Wagner festival, which serves to glorify the man ...
Also what makes this so disheartening to me is that some major patrons are Jewish and they are supporting this festival. One is E. Randol Schoenberg who is President of the Holocaust Museum of Los Angeles. Eli Broad has contributed $6 million to the “Ring” and I have heard $3 million to the festival. The organizer, Barry Sanders, is also Jewish and prominent in the Los Angeles community. These Jews have totally forgotten their heritage and the Holocaust in their efforts to promote Los Angeles Opera. Elitism and power seems to be winning over values and morality. I am very grateful that Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who is not Jewish, understands the significance of such a misdirected festival.
Supervisor Mike Antonovich officially asked the L.A. Opera to make changes in the focus of festival, an action that set off plenty of discussion. My colleague at the Los Angeles Times, Mark Swed, jumped in with a counter-argument:
The supervisor’s proposition would be a cultural public relations disaster for Los Angeles, since the mounting of any "Ring" is an occasion of civic pride and our provocative $32-million production by German artist Achim Freyer is of international interest. It would bankrupt L.A. Opera, which has been "Ring" obsessed for a decade. It would harm Los Angeles' economy: The tourism industry is banking on a “Ring” windfall, and the "Ring Festival" brings together 50 different arts organizations. And it's even bad for the Jews.
That Wagner contributed to 19th century anti-Semitic literature is hardly news ... Wagner was a complicated man and his relationship to Jews was and remains confusing. This is hardly news either ...
Hitler’s regard for Wagner is also extremely well documented. In Antonovich’s statement, he notes that Wagner supplied the "de facto soundtrack for the Holocaust." But it is highly debatable that Wagner, who had supported anarchist and anti-Fascist causes of his day, would have approved of Nazi tactics. Besides, Hitler loved and appropriated many other composers. The Nazis did not hesitate, for instance, to pervert Beethoven and his message of brotherhood ... Should we not also consider, then, asking the Los Angeles Philharmonic to cancel Gustavo Dudamel’s free performance of the Ninth at the Hollywood Bowl in October?
... As a staple of Western civilization, "The Ring," whatever you think of it, is inescapable. This means that we need more attention focused on Wagner, not less, if we are to understand why Seattle is gaga about its “Ring” cycle this summer, and why L.A. Opera, New York's Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera and Washington National Opera are all going through the extraordinary effort and expense of making new “Ring” productions ...
So let the Wagner Festival go forth and let the conversation be vigorous. That’s our best defense against intolerance. And I recommend Supervisor Antonovich perhaps educate himself about Wagner's operas. The downfall of Wotan is an object lesson for any politician who takes an indefensible position.
I have to say that I am surprised that, in 2010, such a heated debate should have broken out in this country. I would never downplay the hideous aspect of Wagner's personality, nor make light of Hitler's appropriation of the composer's music, but I think we ought to be able to deal with the issues with perspective. Great art is great art. Wagner's Ring is great art. That's one reason many Jewish conductors have mastered the score, from Mahler to Barenboim. (That Wagner entrusted the premiere of his ever-so-Christian Parsifal to a Jewish conductor, Hermann Levi, says something, too.)
Any Wagner festival that attempted to "glorify" the man would be rightly challenged. I don't think the L.A. fest has any such intention. Wagner the incredibly creative, revolutionary artist deserves to be acknowledged and studied. I'm terribly naive, I know, but I still believe that a totally evil person cannot create beautiful art. Hitler's inconsequential drawings are a case in point. Wagner's operas reach a level of such transcendent beauty and power that they must reflect, it seems to me, some tiny, redeemable portion of his soul.
The simple truth is that the world of music would be a much poorer place without his work. So the Ring will go on, as it must. The debate over Wagner will go on, too, of course, just as it should.
PHOTO OF LOS ANGELES OPERA PRODUCTION OF 'DIE WALKURE' COURTESY OF LOS ANGELES OPERA (Monika Rittershaus, photographer); SUN ARCHIVE PHOTO OF RICHARD WAGNER
Comments
Maybe in Crown Heights, but not in LA! Come on.
Posted by: Brian Sacawa | July 17, 2009 2:30 PM
Dear Tim,
Nobody is attempting to stop LA Opera from performing the "Ring" in Los Angeles. But a major countywide arts festival that glorifies Wagner, who was a racist anti-Semite and the forerunner of Nazism, is simply plain wrong; and this festival does just that. The mere fact that there are 70 events -- films, exhibits, lectures and concerts which honor Wagner -- constitues Wagner idolatry. There is even a German food festival and beer garden. No, this is a celebration that glorifies Wagner. And Supervisor Antonovich is simply trying to bring balance to such a celebration since city and county money and leaders are involved.
I do not believe that idolatry of a person's art can annul that person's bigotry, especially when the bigotry is part of the art.
No one is trying to stop the festival. Balance is the key.
I can't see this as idolatry, anymore than I would think that a big Beethoven festival, complete with German food and beer, would be idolizing him. Or a Mahler fest with Austrian dishes served on the patio. We are talking about one of the most important composers in history. It is only natural that a company tackling its first 'Ring' would want to go all out. This does not mean that anyone will walk around glorifying Wagner's despicable personal traits. TIM
Posted by: Carie Delmar | July 17, 2009 2:59 PM
Mike Antonovich is a right wing hack who should shut the hell up about anything to do with the arts, he's been a noted philistine for decades.
Antonovich suggested the opera company, “Delete the focus on Wagner and incorporate other composers as headliners including Mozart, Puccini, Verdi, Schubert, Schumann, Meyerbeer, Mendelssohn and others.”
Good god, the last thing Los Angeles needs is MORE Mozart, Puccini and Verdi, those composers are overplayed here to an unbelievable degree; a few seasons ago, there were *3* Puccini operas on the schedule! Meyerbeer? Is he serious, what, are they going to do Les Huguenots when better funded houses don't do it? What do Schubert and Schumann have to do with any of this?
Silly, silly Antonovich.
I do not believe that idolatry of a person's art can annul that person's bigotry, especially when the bigotry is part of the art
I look forward to being pointed to your articles asking for a ban on idolatry of Bach, which unlike Wagner, is nearly universal, because of the anti-Semitism that is "part of his art".
Posted by: Henry Holland | July 17, 2009 5:30 PM
I was born in Austria/Europe shortly after the war and I do understand that there will be people who have strong feelings about the festival in Los Angeles. But I also believe that only by trying to show Wagner and his time from as many points of view as possible will allow people to realize the genius AND the controversial personality of this great composer.
I will travel to Los Angeles especially to see the complete Ring Cycle in 2010 and I hope to be able to get as much from this arts festival as possible. I congratulate LA Opera for its courage. With its series of "Recovered Voices" the company has also proved that it is trying to give a "voice" to both sides.
Posted by: Margit Rihl | July 17, 2009 6:23 PM
Tim, I had written a virtual essay in response, but I'll try to render its essence instead:
Wagner was not a demon, so he should not be demonized. While he had a few significant faults (who doesn't?), the music he composed is one of the greatest achievements of our entire human race. The "Ring" cycle and "Parsifal," in particular, are worthy of being regarded as "Wonders of the World," ancient or modern.
The anti-Semitism which he displayed was an altogether common element of many European societies in his time. (Need I invoke the satirical-yet-honest representation of this in something even as recent as the movie "Borat," hmm?) Clearly, he was not able to rise above anti-Semitism personally. This is unfortunate, and it certainly makes for an obvious stain on his character, but it does not render his creations any less substantial. Indeed, to further one's understanding of Wagner's work, one needs to explore both his psyche and his persona -- the complete picture is rather staggering, and it presents one with a gigantic contradiction: that a man with considerable faults could produce such incredible beauty. To study Wagner is to study the potentials, both positive and negative, in all people.
(And to blame Wagner for Hitler's actions -- and, more precisely, the actions of _all_ Nazi Deutschland! -- is foolish and ignorant. After all, Wahnfried was _not_ a concentration camp!!!)
One cannot ignore the negative aspects of Wagner's life, nor can one totally pry those elements away from his libretti. However, like the best and brightest of children, Wagner's operas have taken meaningful lives of their own, and we choose to celebrate their best attributes. Do not punish the child for the faults of the parent!
Posted by: Doug Halfen | July 17, 2009 10:28 PM
I have grown so weary of these sorts of debates. If we were to boycott all great artists who had strong feelings about the Jews, we would have to limit ourselves to Broadway and other Kleinkunst.
Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Bruckner, Schopenhauer, Twain, Voltaire and countless others held strong, in some cases even brutally strong views concerning the Jews, however, nobody in his right mind would demand to delete the works of these great composers, thinkers, writers and philosophers from the pages of the cultural canon.
Of course, this also begs the question why so many luminaries who otherwise were and are deemed brilliant thinkers and artists, could hold the same despicable view on a certain people - which is even more striking considering the vastly different cultural backgrounds, countries of origin and times they lived in.
I can't help but conclude that this must have been due to a totally inexplicable drop of their IQs regarding this one topic.
Posted by: Thomas | July 19, 2009 7:10 AM
Perhaps Palestinian Americans' sensitivities should be respected, as well.
That's it for anything Israeli or Israeli-connected, in our arts communities.
Kiss off almost all the major composers, directors, producers, sponsors, ... oy.
Hey, maybe a good idea. We might again see some REAL art being created again. You know, like Wagner created.
Posted by: David | July 19, 2009 1:23 PM
I don't know what makes Wagner a "rabid" anti-semite as opposed to just an anti-semite. Shakespeare was also an anti-semite. Before WW II most of the western world had negative views of jews.
But there were many other groups that were hated also. Many British , French and Slavs hated Germans. The Czech minority in Austria before WW I hated Austrian German speakers and the Austrians detested the Czech minority.
The fact is, in Europe many groups disliked one another. Why do people think Jews would have been liked in those times.
Americans hated blacks for centuries. When it was discovered that one of the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, would have sex with one of his slaves and she had his child, they put an interesting spin on this. They defended him and instead of calling him a rapist (which is likely), they celebrate him as a modern liberal man.
Posted by: Peter | July 19, 2009 1:36 PM
Wagner compositons are of magnificent.Thunderous,melodious,and sublime.To purge this display is the totalitarionism of the politically correct with a narrow control agenda.Wagner is reality.His views; a part of the controversies of his time.Great art is provocative,and controversial.This is true freedom.
Posted by: Dante Ardenz | July 19, 2009 3:26 PM
It is most interesting that those who call for free speech and unrestricted access to the Arts ar the very blokes who now seek to censure the works of Wagner. Like it or not, Wagner, regardless of his political views, produced brilliant Opera/Music.
Should we censure everyone whom we consider "anti-semetic", such as Ben Franklin, Mark Twain, etc?
This is still America, a person should never be silenced nor rebuked for personal points of view.
Those seeking to censure Wagner are proving to be very good Nazis themselves.
Frankly, I am tired of single interest groups dictating what is "right" and "correct".
There's no justification in throwing the 'Nazi' charge at anyone. This is an honest debate among people with very strong views. And no one has called for the Wagner works themselves to be silenced in L.A. As I understand it, the issue has more to do with the large-scale festival surrounding the 'Ring.'. I believe the festival should proceed, because I do not see this as a glorification of evil, anymore than a visit to Monticello or Mount Vernon serves to glorfy slavery. But those asking for a different focus to the festival do not deserve to vilified. TS
Posted by: Chris Krebs | July 19, 2009 7:42 PM
Thanks Mr. Smith for speaking out and bring a dose of reality. I realize it takes great courage - no doubt you'll be called a anti-semite and perhaps a holocaust denier for good measure.
I am becoming more and more intolerant of people (and it seems to be the same group) dictating what we can and cannot read, hear, think, and say. I thought this is America and we have a constitution to protect this right.
Posted by: Joe | July 19, 2009 9:17 PM
If there is any idolatry going on it's the idolatry of the new secular religion of the West, the holycaust.
Posted by: Paul Mannstein | July 20, 2009 11:10 AM
If you removed all the anti-Semetic composers you'd have about 10 minutes of Western music left. Hogwash! Perhaps Ms Delmar is writing to create even more publicity for the LA Festival? Brava!!!
Posted by: Michael | July 20, 2009 12:46 PM
The central theme of Der Ring des Nibelungen is precisely the destructive nature of the lust for power. There is not a hint of anti-semitism anywhere in the libretto.
The real puzzle in this discussion is how a Hitler could sit through the Ring, in his private box at Bayreuth, and be so incomprehending as not to realize the story was a parable exactly about people like HIM.
Had he achieved this realization, the Ring would have been banned in Nazi Germany, just as some benighted folk would do in modern Los Angeles.
Posted by: Howard Bond | July 20, 2009 3:06 PM
This kind of thing does not sit right with me. This man's music is being honored not his political views. To say his work should not be recognized because of his political views is something you would expect from a totalitarian communist or fascist state.
Nazi hysteria goes way overboard in society today. It is a symptom of larger PC madness in general.
Posted by: Sarah Whitehouse | July 21, 2009 1:55 PM
With my considerable familiarity with some of Wagner's music and reading about his life, I fail to find any sign of antisemitism, overt or otherwise. Could you please cite specific instances of antisemitism by Wagner?
You couldn't have read very far. TS
Posted by: brucewhain | July 21, 2009 9:12 PM
Wagner and similarly evil men should be left for forgotten lest someone be inspired by their work. Wagner's music is racially inflamatory and inspires violence against non-"aryans" so it should be banned and forgotten. We have enough classical music to need to keep his evil grandiose garbage.
Posted by: Ronda Buellet | July 22, 2009 1:22 PM
It really terifies me that there are people who dare to voice obscenities of the kind that exhort the civilized world to censor Richard Wagner. Just how rabid is your agenda of self adoration?
Posted by: Eleanor Dale | August 4, 2009 4:06 PM