The Hungarian Holocaust film “Son of Saul” won the Academy Award for Foreign Language Film. After the Jewish director Laszlo Nemes gave his acceptance speech, Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” played. Many non-Jews probably thought nothing of it. Many Jews, however, cringed.
Richard Wagner’s music has been unofficially banned in Israel since 1938. In 1981, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra played a Wagner piece. It was met by audience members who left or tried to drown out the music. Some orchestra members refused to play. The orchestra later surveyed members and their audience and decided not to play Wagner’s music again. Others have attempted to play his music a few times in the years since them, but with similar reactions.
Did you know that at a Jewish wedding, you will rarely if ever hear “Here Comes the Bride?” It too was composed by Richard Wagner who was not only anti-Semitic, but Hitler’s favorite composer. Wagner wrote viciously anti-Semitic books condemning Jews. The phrases, “Jewish problem,” and “Final solution,” were coined by him. It’s said that Wagner was an inspiration to Adolph Hitler. Indeed, Hitler declared Wagner his favorite composer. Richard Wagner’s music was played at rallies and in the death camps, including Auschwitz where “Son of Saul,” is set.
