Israeli Opera Concludes 2024 Season with Powerful ‘War Requiem’ by Benjamin Britten

As Israel grapples with the devastating effects of ongoing conflict, the Israeli Opera is set to conclude its 2024 season with a deeply poignant performance of War Requiem by British composer Benjamin Britten.

This emotionally charged work, originally conceived as a memorial to the fallen of World War II, carries a potent resonance in the current moment of national crisis, making this rendition at Tel Aviv’s opera house a reflection of both historical and contemporary tragedies.

The War Requiem was first performed in 1962, commissioned to mark the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral after its destruction during the war.

The piece juxtaposes the Latin text of the traditional Roman Catholic Requiem Mass with the stark, harrowing poetry of Wilfred Owen, a soldier and poet killed just one week before the end of World War I.

Owen’s verse, written in the trenches, captured the anguish, futility, and despair of war, and his voice remains central to Britten’s composition.

For the Israeli Opera’s performance, directed by Ido Ricklin, the War Requiem is presented in a manner that is both familiar and new.

This adaptation divides the traditional three-singer role into eight performers, including two sopranos during the “Lacrimosa” movement, which traditionally speaks of the day of mourning.

This poignant adjustment is symbolic, amplifying the sense of grief and loss in a work that continues to address universal themes of war and suffering.

Ricklin shared with The Jerusalem Post that the performance’s connection to contemporary Israel is undeniable, especially as the nation remains in the throes of war.

The chilling memories of October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israel, are still fresh in the minds of many, and Ricklin noted that the War Requiem could not be more timely.

“The question ‘Shall the sword devour forever?’ haunts us today,” he remarked, referencing the Biblical passage from II Samuel 2:26. The work, which began as a reminder of a war that was hoped to never return, tragically finds itself relevant in the face of Israel’s ongoing violence and loss.

War Requiem premiered with an international cast in 1962, with notable performers like German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, British tenor Peter Pears (Britten’s lifelong partner), and Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya.

The 1962 performance was meant to reflect the shared grief of all sides involved in the war, offering a universal tribute to those who lost their lives. The performance at the Israeli Opera follows this tradition, while also acknowledging the specific pain felt in Israel today.

The fact that the work was written and first performed just 17 years after the end of World War II means it is steeped in the personal grief of a generation that had witnessed firsthand the horrors of war.

Britten, a noted pacifist, utilized Owen’s poems to convey not just the sorrow of the dead, but also the lost youth of those sent to fight in senseless wars. For Ricklin, this message is particularly compelling in the context of Israel’s own struggles.

The adaptation by Ricklin allows the Israeli audience to engage with the work on a deeper level, bringing the historical and literary themes of Owen’s poetry into the present.

In this interpretation, two sopranos perform the “Lacrimosa,” with one woman (Shaked Strul) crying for help while another (Alla Vasilevitsky) accompanies the souls of the departed, evoking the suffering of those caught in the current conflict.

This focus on the emotional burden of the women who have been affected by war, especially those taken captive in recent Israeli tragedies, makes the work particularly poignant in this moment.

Owen’s poetry, particularly the iconic line “the old man slew his son,” speaks of the generational betrayal felt by soldiers sent to die in wars whose causes they could scarcely understand. The War Requiem explores themes of trust violated by leaders who send their youth to war, only to see them slaughtered in brutal and pointless conflicts.

This resonates not only with Owen’s own generation but also with the collective pain of Israeli families who have lost loved ones to violence, often with little understanding of why these lives were lost.

“War is a theme that transcends time,” noted tenor Anthony Webb, one of the performers in the Israeli Opera’s production.

Webb draws comparisons between Britten’s exploration of war in the War Requiem and the more contemporary Grounded, an opera about a drone pilot suffering from PTSD, which recently premiered at the Metropolitan Opera.

Webb emphasizes the stark contrast between wars of the past, like those described in Britten’s work, and wars that are still ongoing—particularly the conflict currently unfolding in Israel.

Ricklin’s interpretation of the War Requiem offers a fresh perspective on a well-known piece, allowing it to resonate with the modern audience in Tel Aviv.

Through the use of a larger ensemble, the work’s traditional structure is broken down, giving room for a more diverse range of voices and expressions.

The expanded roles offer a deeper exploration of grief, specifically the grief experienced by women in the context of war, as well as the sense of loss felt by an entire society.

In a broader context, the War Requiem functions as a reminder of the destructive power of war, not just through the eyes of soldiers, but also through the lens of society as a whole.

The children’s choir in the piece, representing innocence lost, is another significant aspect that resonates with modern audiences, evoking the pain of lost generations and the impact of conflict on future ones.

This element of the piece connects directly to the experiences of Israelis who have seen their children and loved ones taken by violence.

While the opera will be performed in both Latin and English, with Hebrew and English subtitles provided, the emotional weight of the piece transcends language.

For the Israeli public, the War Requiem serves as a reminder of the fragility of peace, the human cost of conflict, and the hope that one day, the sword will cease to devour forever.

War Requiem by Benjamin Britten will premiere on December 6 at the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, with additional performances on December 8, 10, and 13. Tickets range from NIS 236 to NIS 310. For more information and to book tickets, call (03) 692-7777.