OPERA DE MONTE-CARLO - THE FLYING DUTCHMAN
RICHARD WAGNER

Romantic opera in three acts
Music and libretto by Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Premiere: Dresden, Königliches Hoftheater, 2 january 1843

The common threads that run through our season are first spun on this night: mythology, trancelike dreams, and the female power. In Wagner’s opera, the ancient myth about a haunted seafarer seems like the projection of a vivid mind. In order to sail round the Cape of Good Hope, a Dutch mariner once cursed God and the forces of nature. For this, he was condemned to roam the seas, disembarking every seven years until he found a bride who remained faithful until her death.

Senta, a rather overstrung Norwegian girl, and her friends sit at the spinning wheel. Although betrothed to the hunter Erik, her fancy is roused by a painting of a mysterious man. Her father returns from a voyage with a haggard guest, whom she identifies as the object of her dreams. When the two declare their mutual love, Erik storms in. The foreign sailor reveals himself as the Flying Dutchman, once more betrayed. To save him, Senta thrusts herself off a nearby cliff.

The music in Wagner’s early opera depicts the force of nature as romantically as the languor of love. But he also introduces a major subject of his later works: Men may sin, Women must redeem…

Conductor | Gianluca Marcianò

Choirmaster | Stefano Visconti

Daland | Albert Dohmen

Senta | Asmik Grigorian

Erik | Daniel Behle

Mary | Angharad Lyddon

The Steersman | Trystan Llyr Griffiths

The Dutchman | Sir Bryn Terfel