Jerusalem – A crazed Israeli protester, angered that a symposium on Tuesday focused on Richard Wagner, Adolf Hitler’s favorite composer, disrupted a public discussion at a Jerusalem concert hall before police removed him.
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The event, and a planned concert on Wednesday which was cancelled earlier because of bad weather, aimed to mark the 200th year of the birth of Wagner, whose anti-Semitic ideology inspired Hitler’s National Socialist ethos.
Wagner’s music is unofficially banned in Israel and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra was not going to play any of his works on Wednesday. But the concert was called off because it was unable to complete rehearsals due to a heavy weekend snowstorm and poor ticket sales, an orchestra official said.
Wagner has for decades raised the ire of some Israelis and Holocaust survivors, who say his works carry echoes of Nazi Germany’s slaughter of six million Jews during World War Two.
In getting around the unofficial ban on playing Wagner in Israel, the concert was to have included works by composers who influenced the German composer or were influenced by him, among them Beethoven, Weber, Debussy and Chausson.
Ushers struggled to restrain the protester, who gave his name as Ran Carmi, a strongly built man in his late 30s. He stormed the stage, sang the Israeli national anthem and then stayed put as audience members shouted at him to leave.
He referred to at least one usher as a “Nazi collaborator” and hurled abuse at those in attendance.
The small audience of some 70 people eventually abandoned the Henry Crown Symphony Hall, leaving Carmi facing 765 empty seats until police arrived and removed him through a side entrance.
After calm was restored, panel member Michael Wolpe, an Israeli composer, said Carmi had carried out an act of thuggery by trying to silence a learned discussion. He likened it to Wagner’s own behavior.
“What this thug did to us today is what Wagner did to (Giacomo) Meyerbeer with total success, wiping out any memory of his existence,” Wolpe said.
Wagner was known to despise Meyerbeer, a Jewish-born German contemporary who wrote a number of grand operas that are today far less well known that Wagner’s own works.
NOT A CELEBRATION
The orchestra’s French conductor and music director, Frederic Chaslin, said the discussion and the concert were not intended as a celebration of Wagner, but were a good opportunity to air the problematic history of the composer.
“I didn’t want to celebrate his birthday, that was not the idea … (but) the Jewish spirit to study a problem, not to ignore it … so if we ignore the fact that Wagner (was born) 200 years ago, we ignore a big problem that is part of this society,” Chaslin told Reuters.
The orchestra’s director general, Yair Stern, said the concert probably would not be rescheduled because only a few tickets were sold. But he said he thought there would have been huge demand had Wagner’s music been on the program.
“Had we played Wagner, I’m sure that the auditorium would have been over-booked. But since (the concert was) around Wagner … I don’t think we will hold another concert of this type in the near future,” Stern said.
the protester should be given the highest medal of honor by israel there is no place in israel for wagner,
Wagner’s magnificent operas are masterpieces one by one. His ring cycle is one of the greatest ever written. It’s about time to put this childish attitude behind us, and let’s just enjoy his heavenly music.
He’s not crazed, he’s right.
No , the protester is not crazed , crazed are the Israelis who never saw nor ever wish to learn what the Bayreuth festival was. Maybe if these fine Israelis would walk more and tour more, learn more about the Yad Vashem they may and I say may understand may understand Hitler and his twin soul Wagner what he envisioned in the Goetterdaemmerung which is similar to the shoah. The plague on the audience who listened to this blasted music in the land of Avrohom, Yitzhak and Yaakov . Maybe go to the Yad Vashem and look at the black basalt stones with the names of Auschwitz, Treblinka and Majdanek, and you would understand the Jewish neshomo crying out for those who inhaled Zyklon B or were shot by the SS Einsatzgruppen, shame on you for ignoring the cry for 1 million Jewish children murdered which I am certain Winifred Wagner his daughter approved. Shame , shame . Yes Hitler, Hyedrich, Himmler , Goering , Rosenberg Eichmann and Kaltenbrunner all enjoyed Wagner so do now “Jews”, again better to be with goyishe partisans and righteous gentiles than this rabble. I suggest maybe as a “reach nichoach” the smell of a crematoria should accompany the melodies of Parsifal.
We have a few of those nutcases hear in the U.S. too who have attempted to disrupt concerts with Wagnerian pieces on the program….I can respect the views of someone who chooses not to attend such a concert just as I would someone who chooses not to buy a German or Japanese car (for emotional reasons). However, those who attempt to impose their meshugas on others should be treated as we would with some of the nutcases who attempt to disrupt a concert on Shabbos because they don’t believe its appropriate for ANY yid to be mechallel Shabbos.
““I didn’t want to celebrate his birthday, that was not the idea … (but) the Jewish spirit to study a problem, not to ignore it … so if we ignore the fact that Wagner (was born) 200 years ago, we ignore a big problem that is part of this society,” Chaslin told Reuters.”
Do we have “fool” written on our forehead?
To make it clear:
Wagner died before Hitler was even born. Wagner had nothing whatever to do with nazis or their demented ideology. At one time in his life he was broke and angry, and he lashed out against Jews in some musical magazine. Apart from that he became one of the greatest composers of all time. There are no anti-Semitic stereotypes in his musical works. I love listening to his magnificent music as all music lovers should be allowed to do.
I also drive a Ford automobile. 🙂
Since Wagner cannot be uninvented, it seems foolish to try to suppress it. We buy BMWs and Mitsubishis despite their wartime activities.
Babishka (comment no. 12) claims, “There are no anti-Semitic stereotypes in his musical works.” How about Mime in Reingold and Sigfried? How about Beckmesser in Meistersinger? That having been said, I agree that Wagner should not be shunned because Hitler and the Nazis adored his music. After all, the music of Carl Orff, who was an avid Nazi, is played in Israel today.