MENDELE LOHENGRIN

The Jewish Chamber Orchestra Munich under the direction of Daniel Grossmann combines Klezmer, Wagner and contemporary sounds. The evening also features the charismatic actor Stefan Merki and the captivating singer Ethel Merhaut.
A poor Jewish musician, who earns his living more or less by performing at weddings, fulfils a dream – he uses his hard-earned savings to pay a visit to the imperial court theatre in Vienna. By chance, he encounters Wagner’s “Lohengrin” – without any prior knowledge of it. The opera transforms his life: back in his shtetl, he insists on playing Wagner’s melodies at Jewish festivals instead of traditional tunes – inevitably sparking conflict.
We must also ask ourselves the questions that Mendele wrangled with: What does music have to do with the Jews or the Christians? Is music kosher? Sexists, racists, anti-Semites: How do we deal with art whose creators had political or social views that we do not share?
Presented by: IKG Vienna