The Flying Dutchman - Royal Opera House (2024)

Last Updated on March 2, 2024

This Dutchman Flies High

It took me until I was in my 30s to brave a Wagner opera. Not The Flying Dutchman but Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg. Why? well, partly because many Wagner operas are long – but mostly because I’d been advised that I wouldn’t like them. The advice I was given is a complex issue, I suspect in part driven by Wagner’s anti-Semitic views and writings in the 1850s, which became significantly influential, including during the Nazi era, many years after his death. ‘The Flying Dutchman’ was composed relatively early in his career – completed in 1841 and premiered on January 2, 1843, at the Court Theatre in Dresden, Germany. The initial reception was somewhat lukewarm, with both critics and audiences expressing a range of opinions. But it’s now highly regarded, the themes of love, redemption, and the supernatural have resonated with audiences over the years the opera has gradually gained popularity. It’s also an excellent introduction to the concept of a leitmotif, little soundbites that represent characters and actions which are woven throughout the score of “The Flying Dutchman,” enriching the opera’s narrative and enhancing its emotional impact through their repeated use and development. Wagner’s innovative use of leitmotifs in this early work foreshadows their expanded role in his later operas when they become even more integral to the storytelling.

The Flying Dutchman is an opera that is traditionally performed without an interval, despite a running time of two hours and 20 minutes. Wagner advocated for this opera’s uninterrupted performance, believing that it allowed for a more immersive and cohesive theatrical experience. Remember though, this isn’t like going to the cinema, where you can slip out discretely if you need to do so. Indeed the first time I saw the opera at the Royal Opera House it was in the company of some American friends and opera lovers who told me that their relationship and marriage had come about because Seth had asked Elisa to accompany him to a performance – warning her that she’d need a strong bladder. When she didn’t flinch, he told us, that was the moment he knew she was the woman for him! I was very much reminded of that conversation during the Overture when rain was pouring onto the stage. The curtain raised to a ship-inspired set, with sloping grey panels, portholes and ropes – and a river running across the front of the stage (at this point I did wonder if this was malicious intent on the part of the designer). This is the fourth revival of Tim Albery’s production – with the minimalist sets from Michael Levine dark and foreboding throughout, enhanced by atmospheric lighting from David Finn. Despite the lack of interval, the narrative is fast-paced and in a great production like last night’s you simply won’t miss it.

Bryn Terfel has made the title role of this opera his own – and from last night’s performance, it was clear why. Terfel, who first played the Dutchman in 2009 for this production, sings with richness and power. Now in his 50s, his performance is still convincing, laced with an authenticity that reflects brilliantly the tormented existence of the Dutchman. Set in Norway, the opera revolves around the cursed mariner, the Dutchman, condemned to sail the seas eternally unless he finds true love.

Central to the narrative is the Dutchman’s encounter with Daland (Stephen Milling), a Norwegian sea captain, who offers him refuge in exchange for wealth and the hand of his daughter, Senta (Elisabet Strid). She is already obsessed by tales of the Dutchman’s plight and on meeting and recognising him pledges her love to him, believing she can save him through her unwavering devotion. Both Milling and Strid were on top form last night. Senta’s bell-like vocals, pure and lyrical, were stunning and her characterisation of Senta was truly convincing. “Summ und Brumm, du gutes Rädchen” perfectly sets the scene for the story that unfolds and the ‘spinning’ scene set in a clothing factory is a perfect foil for the romantic Senta. Milling’s lower range was astonishingly powerful, matching Terfel perfectly.

Kseniia Nikolaieva’s Mary was vocally full and rounded while Miles Mykkanen making his Royal Opera House debut as the Steersman was lyrical and persuasive. Toby Spence as Erik proved a great storyteller and convincing lover for Senta

Wagner’s score is characterized by its rich orchestration, evoking the tumultuous oceanic setting and the emotional intensity of the characters. The opera’s Overture, with its haunting leitmotifs, sets the tone for the drama that unfolds. With the orchestra of the Royal Opera House ably directed by Henrik Nánási and the chorus in excellent shape throughout this production was outstanding.

Thematically, “The Flying Dutchman” explores the human desire for redemption and the power of love to transcend earthly bounds. Wagner uses the Dutchman’s curse as a metaphor for the human condition, trapped between the material world and spiritual liberation. Visually, the moment the ghostly crew of the Dutchman’s ship disappeared into a vaulted chamber was particularly chilling and evocative and, despite my initial concerns about the ‘water feature’ in a work without interval, the entire production including the absence of an interval aligned perfectly with Wagner’s concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, or “total artwork,” where all elements of the production—music, drama, staging, and visuals—are integrated into a unified whole.