German opera cancelled after featuring performers in Nazi uniform and Jewish family being massacred

Personally, I loathe opera performances where some lameheaded director sets the opera in some modern context instead of the context the composer originally intended --  and this does seem to be about as bad as such "innovative" staging gets.  Had I been in charge of the Opera House, I would have given it the boot too  -- on grounds of bad taste.  Works of art are about taste

A German opera has been cancelled amid a storm of criticism after it featured performers dressed in Nazi uniform, a Jewish family being massacred and a brutal rape scene.

Members of the audience began walking out of Burkhard C. Kosminski's interpretation of Wagner's classic 'Tannhaeuser' after only 30 minutes and some required medical attention for 'psychological trauma'.

The Rhine Opera House in Duesseldorf said although it knew the concert would be 'controversial' it had not expected such an extreme reaction.

Kosminksi said he had wanted to 'address' the anti-Semitic attitude of composers like Wagner, who was known to be one of Adolf Hitler's favourites.

In one scene, naked performers came onto the stage in smoke-filled gas chambers to kill the character Venus, dressed as an S.S. officer, and a Jewish family in a parody of a WW2 massacre.

In another, a character called Elisabeth was brutally raped by Tannhauser’s rival Wolfram and left bloodied and crying on stage.

And finally, a mother, father and daughter were led up by members of the Wehrmacht - their clothes were removed, they were shaved and shot.

Source

It should be noted that Wagner was NOT a Nazi.  He had many Jewish friends whom he helped and supported.

I avoid anything described as "innovative".  In my experience it is generally just a jerk-off.  Things that have stood the test of time are a much better bet.