dagblog - Comments for "Review: The Death of Klinghoffer"

I think a similar thing

MrSmith1 — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 04:14:41 +0000

In reply to Review: The Death of Klinghoffer

I think a similar thing happened in 1998 with Paul Simon's Broadway musical, The Capeman, which was also based on actual events. The family of the victims made a huge protest against the show claiming it glorified their relative's killer. While the show was focused on the killer's life, it was not a justification or glorification of murder and did not present the murder as justified in any way. Rather, it showed an ignorant young man, caught up in the gang lifestyle of the 1950's, who makes a terrible mistake and then spends the rest of his life paying for that mistake. The family of the victims are shown as grieving and unable to forgive him. Although it starred Latino heart-throb Marc Anthony, and had a wonderful score, the show had some serious book problems, and closed after a short run. I have no doubt, however, that the protests definitely shortened the show's initial run and had the effect of convincing some people that they didn't like the show even before they actually saw it.

There really isn't an "opera

Michael Maiello — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 04:02:45 +0000

In reply to Has the opera industry now

There really isn't an "opera industry" these days. The Met is a non-profit, as are most of the major opera companies. The Death of Klinghoffer was first produced in 1991. At this point, I'd say that The Met was less boldly pursuing controversy than it was being pursued by it.

As for the journey into the macabre... The beheading of Daniel Pearl seems to me to be a proper subject for dramatic art, and other art, especially if that art rejects violence as a political tool, as Klinghoffer clearly does.

Has the opera industry now

NCD — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 02:10:16 +0000

In reply to Review: The Death of Klinghoffer

Is the opera industry so desperate that it has joined the mainstream media, the Republican Party, the defense industry and Hollywood in capitalizing on terrorism? And in this case not terrorism in general, but boldly pursuing controversy, and press, by using an actual victim and event?

Where does this journey into the macabre end? Will the audience demand more of the same from John Adams, perhaps "The Beheading of Daniel Pearl"?

So glad you hear from you on

Michael Maiello — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 00:30:51 +0000

In reply to Glad to hear you found it

So glad you hear from you on this, Double A. I meant that Miller was working in the form of the ancient Greeks and that he succeeded in turning Loman's story into one as significant as Agememnon's. I think that Klinghoffer does the same for Leon.

Glad to hear you found it

artappraiser — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 23:49:22 +0000

In reply to Review: The Death of Klinghoffer

Glad to hear you found it like you say. The criticism I had read made me worry that this might be a situation of cheap shot pandering to a politically correct libretto in order to stir up controversy and buzz. That would be sad, I think, because I have always seen, like you do, in the Klinghoffer story a great tragedy, one that resounds with people and makes them think. The story screams for art to interpret it, not just base politics. Rather than cite Death of a Salesman, though, I might go with Euripides or Aeschelysus.