(Photo: Michele Monasta) John Adams’ “The Death of Klinghoffer” is never too far away from controversy. The opera is based upon the Palestinian 1985 terrorist hijacking of the cruise ship ‘Achille Lauro’ in the Egyptian port of Alexandria, which is now remembered primarily for the savage and brutal murder of a 69-year-old Jewish American gentleman in a wheelchair named Leon {…}
(Credit: © Michele Monasta) This week, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino will perform “The Death of Klinghoffer” for the first time in a high-profile production directed by Luca Guadagnino. The cast will feature many familiar faces, including Marina Comparato, who will return to Florence, continuing a long-standing artistic relationship with the Teatro del Maggio. For this production Comparato will perform the {…}
The Maggio musicale fiorentino has announced that it will open its 88th festival season with John Adams’ “The Death of Klinghoffer.” The work has never been performed in Florence and will be conducted by Lawrence Renes, a great promoter of Adams’ music. Acclaimed film director Luca Guadagnino will direct the production, which is set to open on April 19, 2026 {…}
“The Death of Klinghoffer” is one of the most controversial operas ever created. The work, written by librettist Alice Goodman and composer John Adams, had its world premiere on March 19, 1991, in Brussels, but upon appearing in NYC later that year, the work has been followed by major protests; it was initiated by Lisa and Ilsa Klinghoffer, the daughters {…}