Mendele Lohengrin: A Klezmer Singspiel

In 1898, Heinrich York-Steiner told the story of Mendele, a poor Jewish musician who pays a visit to the Vienna Court Theatre and hears Wagner's "Lohengrin" there by chance. The opera overwhelms him - back in the shtetl he only wants to play Wagner instead of traditional melodies. His story shows the tension between his fascination with Wagner's music and his open anti-Semitism, which is still evident today. Nevertheless, many Jewish artists were attracted to his work.

In 2020, the Jewish Chamber Orchestra Munich under Daniel Grossmann successfully brought Mendelle's story to the stage as a commissioned work by Evgeni Orkin. Stefan Merki and Ethel Merhaut continue Mendelle's questions: How do we experience art today whose creators had political or social views that we do not share?