Major Controversies Surrounding Daniel Barenboim: A Detailed Timeline
Public opinion and media debates around Daniel Barenboim—discover key moments of controversy.
Daniel Barenboim is an Argentine-Israeli pianist and conductor, also holding Spanish and Palestinian citizenship. He served as the general music director of the Berlin State Opera and Staatskapellmeister of the Staatskapelle Berlin from 1992 to January 2023. Barenboim is renowned for his contributions to classical music and his efforts to promote peace through music.
1948: Informal ban in Israel
In 1948, when Israel was founded, the informal ban continued, but from time to time unsuccessful efforts were made to end it.
1948: Reference to Israeli Declaration of Independence
In May 2004, during his Wolf Prize acceptance speech, Daniel Barenboim referred to the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948, expressing his opinion on the political situation.
1948: Establishment of Israel
Since the establishment of Israel in 1948, Israeli politicians have linked European anti-Semitism to the Palestinian's rejection of the state's founding. Barenboim argued that the Palestinians' primary issue was their expulsion, not anti-Semitism, highlighting that European anti-Semitism predates the partition of Palestine.
1974: Wagner's Work planned in Israel
In 1974, Zubin Mehta planned to lead the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in works of Wagner, but did not.
1981: Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in works of Wagner
In 1981, Zubin Mehta planned to lead the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in works of Wagner, but did not, fist fights broke out in the audience.
1988: Wagner's operas at the Bayreuth Festival
In 1988, Barenboim was selected to head the production of Wagner's operas at the Bayreuth Festival.
1989: Publicly opposed the Israeli ban.
In 1989, Daniel Barenboim had the Israel Philharmonic "rehearse" two of Wagner's works and publicly opposed the Israeli ban.
1990: Conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
In 1990, Daniel Barenboim conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in its first appearance in Israel, excluding Wagner's works.
2000: Israel Supreme Court decision
In 2000, the Israel Supreme Court upheld the right of the Rishon LeZion Orchestra to perform Wagner's Siegfried Idyll.
July 2001: Wagner controversy at the Israel Festival
In July 2001, strong protests led to the removal of Wagner from the Israel Festival program, after Daniel Barenboim scheduled to perform the first act of Die Walküre.
September 2001: Division on Wagner in Jerusalem
In September 2001, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra revealed that season ticket-holders were evenly divided about the wisdom of Barenboim's decision to play Wagner in Jerusalem.
2003: Criticism of Israeli Policies
In 2003, Barenboim criticized Israel's actions as "morally abhorrent and strategically wrong," arguing that they endangered the state's existence.
May 2004: Wolf Prize Controversy
In May 2004, Daniel Barenboim was awarded the Wolf Prize at the Israeli Knesset. However, the nomination was initially withheld by Education Minister Livnat until Barenboim addressed his performance of Wagner in Israel, leading to political tensions and a boycott by Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin.
September 2005: Refusal of Interview and Controversy
In September 2005, Daniel Barenboim refused to be interviewed by an Israel Defense Forces Radio reporter in uniform, deeming it insensitive. This led to accusations of anti-Semitism from Israeli Education Minister Limor Livnat.
2005: Edward Said Memorial Lecture: "Wagner, Israel and Palestine"
In 2005, Daniel Barenboim delivered the inaugural Edward Said Memorial Lecture at Columbia University, entitled "Wagner, Israel and Palestine". In his speech, he urged Israel to acknowledge the Palestinian narrative, addressed the issue of anti-Semitism, and controversially linked Israeli actions to the rise of international anti-Semitism.
March 2007: Wagner in Israel: A Politicized Subject
In March 2007, Daniel Barenboim commented that the controversy surrounding Wagner's music in Israel was a symptom of deep-seated issues within Israeli society, indicating that the subject had become overly politicized.
December 2007: Cancelled Gaza Concert
In December 2007, Daniel Barenboim and a group of musicians had to cancel a baroque music concert in Gaza after a Palestinian musician was denied entry at the Israel-Gaza border, leading to a seven-hour wait and a decision to cancel in solidarity.
January 2008: Honorary Palestinian Citizenship
In January 2008, Daniel Barenboim accepted honorary Palestinian citizenship after performing in Ramallah, becoming the first Jewish Israeli to receive this status, intended as a gesture of peace. This decision faced criticism from some Israelis.
2010: Conducting Wagner at La Scala
In 2010, prior to conducting Wagner's Die Walküre at La Scala, Daniel Barenboim argued that Wagner's perception was unfairly tainted by Hitler's admiration for him, advocating for a separation of Wagner's artistic merit from the Nazi association.
2012: Cancellation of Qatar Performance
In 2012, Daniel Barenboim's invitation to the Doha Festival in Qatar with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra was cancelled due to "sensitivity to developments in the Arab world" and accusations of being a Zionist in Arab media.
2012: Criticism of Israel's Wagner Ban
In a 2012 interview with Der Spiegel, Daniel Barenboim expressed his sadness over Israel's continued refusal to allow performances of Wagner's music, viewing it as a symptom of the politicization of Holocaust remembrance. He also disputed the connection between the Holocaust and the Palestinian problem.
