these for the ‘meaning’ of the work.” Though Beauchamp’s assertion sounds presumptuous, his argument may not be without reason. Much of the reaction against Klinghoffer may directly arise out of quotations taken directly out of context. Undoubtedly, chauvinistic declarations such “But wherever poor men / Are gathered they can / Find Jews getting fat” would incense many upon reading or, as it were, upon listening. Furthermore, Longobardi notes that “[b]ecause the production history of The Death of Klinghoffer surrounds the events of 9/11, the opera becomes inextricably enmeshed in a dramatic reimagining of values and icons in millennial U.S. culture.” Much of the legacy of Adams’ opera is linked with consequences of the 9/11 attacks. Primarily,
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She claims “although the first reviews said some extremely negative things about the horrible libretto and the frigid music, there were no complaints about a pro-terrorist slant.” John Rockwell’s description of the first performance of Klinghoffer is relatively tame and contains little inflammatory language in regards to the opera’s content:
The subject of "The Death of Klinghoffer" is the seizure of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in October 1985 by four Palestinian terrorists and the murder of a wheelchair-bound American Jew, Leon Kling …show more content…
For them the two opening choruses seal the fate of the opera. Longobardi asserts “the meaning of that duality represented by the opera’s choruses is complex, suggesting at the same time union and division, brothers and enemies,” which is ultimately a problematic implication. Adams’ suggestion of both people’s duality affronts Longobardi among many others. In an opera dealing with the rampages of terrorism the Jewish people are actors with moral high ground, however, critics believe that the duality in the musical structure suggests a equivalency which is ultimately incorrect. Furthermore, Tobin is not alone when he contends that “the choruses leave no doubt as to where we should direct our sympathy.” Instead of sympathizing with the victims of a heinous crime, he would argue, Adams creates an environment which encourages sympathy with the perpetrators. As such the nature of the Chorus of Exiled Palestinians and the Chorus of Exiled Jews is
She claims “although the first reviews said some extremely negative things about the horrible libretto and the frigid music, there were no complaints about a pro-terrorist slant.” John Rockwell’s description of the first performance of Klinghoffer is relatively tame and contains little inflammatory language in regards to the opera’s content:
The subject of "The Death of Klinghoffer" is the seizure of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in October 1985 by four Palestinian terrorists and the murder of a wheelchair-bound American Jew, Leon Kling …show more content…
For them the two opening choruses seal the fate of the opera. Longobardi asserts “the meaning of that duality represented by the opera’s choruses is complex, suggesting at the same time union and division, brothers and enemies,” which is ultimately a problematic implication. Adams’ suggestion of both people’s duality affronts Longobardi among many others. In an opera dealing with the rampages of terrorism the Jewish people are actors with moral high ground, however, critics believe that the duality in the musical structure suggests a equivalency which is ultimately incorrect. Furthermore, Tobin is not alone when he contends that “the choruses leave no doubt as to where we should direct our sympathy.” Instead of sympathizing with the victims of a heinous crime, he would argue, Adams creates an environment which encourages sympathy with the perpetrators. As such the nature of the Chorus of Exiled Palestinians and the Chorus of Exiled Jews is