The Death of Klinghoffer: An Introduction

John Adams first Opera Nixon in China depicted the famous visit of President Nixon to China. There was not much controversy surrounding either the plot or political implications that Adams could have potentially intended.

The opposite is the case with Adams second opera. The Death of Klinghoffer was boycotted by Jews living in New York at its New York premiere, and has remained highly controversial. Jews find the depiction of Klinghoffer and the Palestinian terrorists who ultimately murder him to be anti-Semitic, while Palestinians find Klinghoffer's murder in the second act to be Zionistic.

Controversy surrounded the opera in 2001 when Adams was scheduled to conduct the Boston Symphony in a November Concert. Originally scheduled on the concert were the two opening choruses from the opera (Chorus of the Exiled Palestinians and the Chorus of the exiled Israelis.) The Boston Symphony Chorus was scheduled to join the Boston Symphony Orchestra to perform both of these works under the direction of Adams.

In September of 2001, the terrorist attacks in New York had shaken the country, and had also claimed the lives of relatives of people who would likely be in the audience for that concert. In addition, one of the chorus members had lost a relative in the terrorist attacks as well. It was for these reasons that both choruses were omitted from the final program (for more information regarding this, please consult The John Adams Reader.)

On that fateful day in September of 2001, Adams was in London England for a recording session of none other than The Death of Klinghoffer. This session was a part of a production of the opera to be broadcast on television. (According to The John Adams Reader) the recording session was halted as soon as it was announced to them what had occurred in New York and Washington. The recording sessions were cancelled for the rest of that day and the next, but were eventually resumed and the project was completed.

The plot of the opera takes place in 1985 on an Italian Cruise ship Achille Lauro sailing in the Mediterranean. Leon Klinghoffer and his wife are among the passengers taking this cruise when Palestinians take of control of the ship and hold it and its captives for ransom. During the kidnapping of the passengers, it is revealed to the Palestinians that Klinghoffer is a Jew. The situation is tense with Klinghoffer's resistance of the Palestinian captors. Klinghoffer (who is an invalid in his late 60s) is subsequently shot to death and his body is thrown overboard. The opera concludes with the ship's captain informing Klinghoffer's wife of his demise.

The opera is in two acts, with the prologue featuring the Chorus of the Exiled Palestinians and the Chorus of the Exiled Israelis (originally there was a scene between the two choruses portraying the friends of the Klinghoffer's in New York City but this was deleted prior to the premiere). Because of the subplots involved, this brief synopsis is not enough to gain an understanding of what is going on both musically and dramatically within the opera. The first thing to be examined will be the two opening choruses, followed by Act 1 and then Act 2.