To play or not to play: A Swiss theater director comes to Israel to test the murky Wagnerian waters

Swiss theater director Milo Rau visited Israel to research for his upcoming production of Richard Wagner's The Flying Dutchman at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Rau, known for his documentary theater and exploration of social injustices, intended to gather insights and film footage for his production, which will run from October through February 2027.

• He met with Yonatan Livny, founder of the Wagner Association in Israel, who advocates for performing Wagner's music despite the composer's antisemitism and its embrace by Hitler. Livny, whose family was decimated in the Holocaust, stated, "Once a work has been completed, it no longer belongs to the artist; it belongs to the world."
• The author, an Israeli journalist and son of a Holocaust survivor, was invited to interview Rau but was informed upon meeting that no interview would take place, and Rau did not want articles published during his stay.
• Rau, who reportedly developed misgivings about performing Wagner in Israel during his flight, instead questioned the journalist about playing Wagner's music in Israel. The journalist responded that if even one Holocaust survivor objects, the taboo should remain.