The Death of Klinghoffer - Political Controversy

Political Controversy

Controversy surrounded the American premiere and other productions in the years which followed. Adams, Goodman and Sellars repeatedly claimed that they were trying to give equal voice to both Israelis and Palestinians with respect to the political background. Some critics and audience members condemned the production as anti-Semitic and appearing to be 'sympathetic' to the hijackers. Lisa Klinghoffer and Ilsa Klinghoffer, the daughters of Leon and Marilyn Klinghoffer, anonymously attended the 1991 world premiere of the opera in New York City. Afterward they said they disapproved of the dramatic portrayal of the events. The dramatic expression of Palestinian historical grievances in a theatrical context was one source of accusations of 'sympathy' with Palestinian terrorism. Others accused the creators of anti-Semitism for their portrayal of fictional Jewish-American neighbours of the Klinghoffers, the Rumors, in a scene in the original version. The couple were characterized in a way many Americans believed to be offensive and inappropriately satirical. Following the American premiere, Adams deleted this scene while revising his opera for all future productions.

Following the September 11 attacks, the Boston Symphony Orchestra cancelled a scheduled performance in November 2001 of extracts from the opera. This was partly in deference to a member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, who lost a family member on one of the hijacked planes, and also because of the perceived "pro-Palestinian" nature of the work. It was considered too controversial for performance at a time of heightened anti-Muslim feeling in the USA. In a widely read New York Times article, Richard Taruskin defended the orchestra's action, and denounced Adams and the opera for "romanticizing terrorists". Defenders of the opera, including John Rockwell of the New York Times, countered that, by portraying the terrorists as human beings rather than two-dimensional villains, Adams forces the audience to confront the underlying causes of violence, rather than to blame only the brainwashed children of violence.

Adams responded to Taruskin's criticisms on a number of occasions, including this 2004 statement:

"Not long ago our attorney general, John Ashcroft, said that anyone who questioned his policies on civil rights after September 11 was aiding terrorists; what Taruskin said was the aesthetic version of that. If there is an aesthetic viewpoint that does not agree with his, it should not be heard. I find that very disturbing indeed."

In a more academic analysis, Robert Fink countered Taruskin's accusations of anti-Semitism, with particular reference to the deleted scene with the Rumor family. Fink has discussed how the removal of this scene disrupted the original dramaturgical structure of the opera, as the singers of the members of the Rumor family took on symbolically ironic later roles in the opera. Fink further posited that the reaction of American audiences to the portrayal of the Rumor family was partly because it was sociologically accurate. He discussed the scene in the historical context of past depictions in American popular culture of Jewish-American families. A separate academic study by Ruth Sara Longobardi discusses the opera with respect to issues about depictions of Palestinians and Jews. She explores how the use of contemporary media in productions, such as the Penny Woolcock film of the opera, affects perception of the two sides of the political conflict.

The 2009 Juilliard performance aroused controversy again. The school's president, Joseph W. Polisi, responded to a letter to The Juilliard Journal which protested the opera as "a political statement made by the composer to justify an act of terrorism by four Palestinians." He wrote:

"Let me tell you a bit about myself and then about my views of the Adams opera. Before becoming a professional musician, I was formally educated as a political scientist with a concentration on international relations. I am a longtime friend of Israel and have visited the country on numerous occasions to help Israeli artists study and perform in the United States. My King Solomon Award from the America Israel Cultural Foundation is a source of great pride for me. I have also researched and taught about the influences of the First Amendment on the arts and artists in America. My experiences in political science and music have played a powerful role in my thinking about The Death of Klinghoffer.

"Unlike you, I do not see this work as a "justification" of an act of terrorism, but rather a profoundly perceptive and human commentary on a political/religious problem that continues to find no resolution. Such an extraordinary work of art like this must continue to live, no matter how horrific its basic story. I respect your right to protest the opera's topic, but Juilliard and its kindred artistic institutions have to be responsible for maintaining an environment in which challenging, as well as comforting, works of art are presented to the public.

"You end your letter with the word "shame." I believe the "shame" for Juilliard would more likely have occurred if we had not the vision and the courage to present artistic works which we believe to be transformative compositions, worthy of presentation by our students and of reflection by our audiences. If we had decided against producing Adams's opera in an effort to not offend audience members, we would have ignored our mission as an institution and community that teaches and enlightens through the wonder and power of the arts."