OVERVIEW|VOLUME 16 If Shakespeare was right in the observation that world is a stage, then the whole of Jewish history might best be viewed as continuously developing, constantly unfolding opera. But however suitable that analogy may seem, the themes and events of Jewish history have received comparatively little attention from opera composers and librettists. To this day, Jacques Fromental Halévy's 1835 La Juive (The Jewess), a story about medieval Jewish persecution, still stands as the only "Jewish" opera generally considered part of the standard repertoire.

Of course, as with most matters in Jewish music, it always depends on how one chooses to define "Jewish"—an issue over which reasonable people may, and often do, disagree. The convention followed in the Milken Archive has always been to focus on musical content rather than a composer's particular background. So, for our volume on Jewish opera, the "Jewishness" of the opera is entirely dependent on the libretto's principal foundation in some aspect of Jewish experience, and on the composer's intention to create a work of fundamental Jewish connection. The religious faith, ethnic background, or ancestry of the composer or librettist is irrelevant.

There have been countless operas based on the Hebrew Bible, the Apocrypha, or on post-biblical events and figures in Jewish antiquity, not to mention operas that are based on or deal with anti-semitism, the Holocaust, or other significant events in Jewish history. But automatically qualifying these operas as Jewish would be shortsighted. Some biblical operas reflect perspectives entirely foreign to Jewish sensibilities, while others overtly promote Christian agendas, viewing, for instance, the Hebrew Bible and aspects of Jewish antiquity as precursors to the New Testament. Other operas have been based on some aspect of Jewish history, but have not sufficiently explored the Jewish experience. Instead, the event or situation serves as a backdrop rather than a central part of the story.

Among the most famous Jewish operas, aside from Halévy's, are Giacomo Meyerbeer's Jephta's Gelbülde (Jephta's Vow, 1812), Arnold Schoenberg's Moses and Aron (premier 1954), and Ernest Bloch's Jezebel. But a number of lesser-known works also exist, many of which have been commissioned by important American Jewish institutions, such as the Opera Theatre of Westchester (Chelm), and the 92nd Street Y (Gimpel the Fool, Mikhoels the Wise).

Included in Volume 16 are one biblical opera, Hugo Weisgall’s Esther; one Holocaust-related opera, David Amram’s The Final Ingredient; and several operas on themes or events in Jewish history and culture. Also featured are a selection of photographs and several edited videos made from recording and oral history sessions. And, as with other volumes in the virtual museum, we will gradually augment it with relevant, previously recorded material.

As the 21st century progresses, the timelessness of biblical and historical Jewish subjects will no doubt continue to fascinate, and perhaps to inspire fresh operatic interpretations. But the stage upon which the drama of contemporary Jewish social, cultural, and political issues are currently unfolding is broad, multifaceted, and unpredictable; the players are as complex and dynamic as those of the past. Broadened awareness not only of Jewish history and folklore, but also of contemporary social, cultural, and political issues shows great potential for enriching and enlarging the repertoire of Jewish opera in the years to come.

Read the full Introduction to Volume 16