The Israeli composer whose work will be performed in the city associated with Wagner: “I am entering the lion’s den”

A few years before World War II and the Holocaust, Baruch Berliner’s parents fled the Nazi regime and left Germany. Soon, the Jewish composer will close a circle when the sonata “Abraham,” which he composed based on stories from the Torah, is performed in a concert in the city of Bayreuth — a place more than any other associated with the antisemitic composer Richard Wagner, who was admired by Hitler and senior figures of the Nazi regime in Germany.

The works of the Israeli composer Baruch Berliner have already been performed around the world, including in Germany, but on Sunday (May 10) he will make history that is not only personal but also national: for the first time, a work by Berliner will be performed in the city most closely associated with the famous antisemitic composer Richard Wagner.

The concert will take place in the city of Bayreuth, in the state of Bavaria in Germany, which has a deep historical connection to the German composer who later became associated with the Nazis. The city’s opera house was identified with Wagner, his works were performed there many times, and he lived in a villa in the city. The city’s annual festival continues to present his works to this day and has become a pilgrimage site for admirers of the composer, who was especially favored by the dictator Adolf Hitler and senior figures of the Nazi regime in Germany.

Precisely in this place, the sonata “Abraham” by Berliner, an Israeli Jewish composer, will be performed. He attributes special significance to the event: “I am very proud of it. I am going into the lion’s den and prevailing. My works are being performed, works so closely identified with the Torah and Judaism, precisely in his city.”

Regarding Wagner himself, Berliner finds it difficult to separate the man from his work: “In principle, I see the artist and his works as a single entity and find it hard to separate them. In Wagner’s case, the special regard that Hitler had for him makes it even harder for me to relate only to the work and not to the man, his path and his deeds. I believe that listening to Wagner is especially harmful to Holocaust survivors, and I oppose the holding of concerts featuring his works or their performance by state orchestras.”

The parents fled the Nazi regime

Berliner, born in 1942, has a deep background in German culture. His parents fled the Nazi regime in Germany in 1937, before World War II and the Holocaust. His mother, Charlotte, who grew up in Vienna, was a pianist, singer, and dancer; his father, Shabtai, was a lawyer and businessman, and as a pioneer initiated and developed agriculture in Palestine, long before the establishment of the State of Israel. Baruch grew up immersed in Viennese culture, listening to Johann Strauss, Franz Lehár, and Imre Kalman.

For many years, he deepened his work specifically in the mathematical field, and worked as a senior actuary at the global Swiss reinsurance company Swiss Re in Zurich. He was invited to lecture at various universities around the world and published two scientific books and about 70 articles on actuarial research and finance. His book “The Limits of Risk Insurance” became a bestseller and was published in several languages.

In addition, he composed and was active in music, and in 1992 joined the musician Nachum Slutzker, who became the producer, initiator, and advisor for all their joint projects. Alongside his musical work, he also published six poetry books in German and seven poetry books in Hebrew.

Unlike Berliner, Slutzker believes it is difficult to ignore Wagner’s profound influence on the world of opera: “At the beginning of his musical career he even admired several Jewish composers, including of course Felix Mendelssohn, but at some point there was a kind of switch and he became a clear antisemite. For me, once a work enters the wider world, it no longer actually belongs to the composer. I know how to separate the personality of the artist from his work. Of course, regarding his personality there is no dispute, but in terms of the music and everything he contributed to the world of music, that is something different in my opinion.”

What does it feel like to perform on his “home turf”?

“I am very excited. Berliner’s music has already been performed in about 40 countries around the world, and of course we have been in Germany more than once, but a concert in a place so strongly associated with Wagner is especially exciting. We will of course record the concert and upload it to our YouTube channel, and I am sure it will receive great appreciation.”

Berliner is not afraid to compose biblical texts and stories from the Torah. “I compose from the heart, melodies come to me and I develop them,” he says. “The themes all come from the early Torah portions. One central theme I see is free will, which the Holy One, blessed be He, gave us when He created us in His image. He gave us the good inclination and the evil inclination. In that same context, I see Wagner on the side of evil.”

The texts were preferred by Berliner and Slutzker to be delivered by a narrator rather than a singer, so that the audience could understand them clearly: “Even in Muslim countries where we performed, it was a success, because the audience appreciates the music and also understands the texts and the messages. We always make sure that the narrator speaks in the local language.”

From Germany they will continue their journey also to China and Vietnam. Although they are of course strongly identified with Jewish texts and music, and come from Israel, Berliner and Slutzker explain that they receive much appreciation and that no antisemitic or anti-Israeli incidents have been recorded in their worldwide performances so far. “Quite the opposite. We receive a lot of warmth and feel that the audience’s heart remains with us. We of course represent Israel, but we let the music speak and remain completely apolitical. There is also, of course, a local Jewish audience that is very happy to welcome us and see the performances. I think they appreciate that we bring an Israel that is high-quality, beautiful, fascinating, with deep roots, with the world of the Torah,” says Slutzker.

Berliner, as mentioned, combines a long career and studies in the exact sciences with deep musical creation. Does that work well together?

“You can go back 2,500 years and ask Pythagoras the same question,” Berliner laughs. “He also gave the answer—it works very well together. It simply lives inside me. Both this and that. My mother came from the musical side; she was a pianist, dancer, and singer. My father was the mathematical side. I inherited the best from each of them. If you have children who are talented in several fields, don’t push them in only one direction. You can succeed in multiple areas.”