Israeli Opera to uphold Wagner boycott over link to Nazis

Conductor David Stern, the new musical director of the Israeli opera, has indicated that he will uphold a decades-old ban on performing the works of Richard Wagner, a favorite composer of Adolf Hitler.

Nazi propaganda appropriated Wagner's works and anti-Jewish writings, and, as a result, his operas have never been staged in Israel. Attempts to perform his compositions have been halted by protests, led in some cases by Holocaust survivors.

Stern told reporters Sunday that Wagner and his works will remain a sensitive topic in Israel for many years.

"I don't think it's such a great loss to Israeli audiences. I still conduct Wagner in other places around the world, but there are many other things that are worthwhile to conduct here," he said.

Stern takes the podium for the first time this week.

Under Stern's baton, the opera will return to performing Georgian-born Israeli composer Yosef Bardanashvili's "A Journey to the End of the Millennium," based on the novel by author A.B. Yehoshua and directed by Omri Nitzan.

Stern added that he is a fan of the French repertoire and would be happy to emphasize those works in the Opera's future performances.

Stern is replacing Asher Fisch, who left the Opera after accusing General Director Hana Munitz of making decisions while ignoring artistic considerations. Munitz said yesterday that Stern was one of the leading candidates to replace Fisch, and that he accepted the offer almost immediately.

Stern, the son of renowned violinist Isaac Stern, has accumulated a formidable reputation of his own and proven his conducting talent in previous performances with the Israeli Opera.

Regarding his family legacy, Stern said, "My father was in New York, and his soul is there and that's where his career blossomed. I've lived from a young age in Paris, and worked as a musician in two areas my father never dealt with: ancient music and opera."

More Jewish World news and features

Related article:

Barenboim: New Wagner staging would make Hitler 'turn in grave'