Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer

Composer: Richard Wagner Artists: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (The Dutchman), Gottlob Frick Daland (Norwegian sea captain), Fritz Wunderlich (Daland’s steersman), Marianne Schech (Senta, Daland’s daughter), Chor der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin, Staatskapelle Berlin, Franz Konwitschny (conductor) Online purchase or streaming (Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Deezer, Google Play): Physical purchase: One of the greatest and most revolutionary composers of the nineteenth century, Richard Wagner transformed the realm of musical drama. Years before his towering successes of the Ring Cycle, Tristan und Isolde and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, he wrote the now lesser-performed The Flying Dutchman, an opera that marks the beginning of Wagner’s mature works. The opera – premiered in Dresden in 1843 – is based on Heinrich Heine’s telling of the legend in which the captain of a ghostly vessel, The Flying Dutchman, is doomed to roam the seas for all eternity until he wins the love of a woman. The fate of the Dutchman is said to have struck Wagner as a mirror image of his own disastrous fate in Paris; having expected the city to hail him as a genius, he was left bitterly disappointed. From the outset, the overture depicts the vast expanse of the rolling sea and hints at the despair that is to come, while weaving together other leitmotifs that will reoccur later in the work. Other highlights include Senta’s heartfelt ballad from Act II, the Dutchman’s soliloquy ‘Die Frist ist um’ and the raucous shanty that is the Sailors’ Chorus. The role of the Dutchman is sung by legendary lyric baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, described by The Guardian as ‘the most influential singer of the 20th century’. Playing his love interest, Senta, is Marianne Schech, while Gottlob Frick takes the role of her father. The soloists are supported by the Chor der deutschen Staatsoper Berlin and the Staatskapelle Berlin, conducted by Franz Konwitschny. 00:00:00 Der Fliegende Hollander: Overture (Orchestra) 00:11:29 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 1: No. 1: Introduction: Hojohe! Hallojo! (Chorus/Daland/Steersman) 00:16:57 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 1: Song: Mit Gewitter und Sturm aus fernem Meer (Steersman) 00:21:50 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 1: No. 2: Aria: Die Frist ist um (Dutchman/Chorus) 00:33:28 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 1: No. 3: Scene, Duet and Chorus: He! Holla! Steuermann! (Daland/Steersman) 00:35:13 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 1: Duet: Weit komm’ ich her (Dutchman/Daland) 00:50:00 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 1: Chorus: Hohohe! Halloho! (Chorus) 00:53:41 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 2: Introduction (Orchestra) 00:54:27 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 2: No. 4: Scene, Song and Ballad: Summ und brumm, du gutes Rädchen (Girls/Mary/Senta) 01:02:45 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 2: Ballad: Johohoe!… Traft ihr das Schiff im Meere an (Senta) 01:13:07 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 2: No. 5: Duet (Erik/Senta)(Part I) 01:13:53 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 2: No. 5: Duet (Part II): Mein Herz, voll Treue bis zum Sterben (Erik/Senta) 01:25:35 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 2: No. 6: Finale: Mein Kind, du siehst mich auf der Schwelle (Daland/Senta) 01:27:20 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 2: Aria: Mögst du, mein Kind, den fremden Mann (Daland) 01:33:42 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 2: Duet: Wie aus der Ferne längst vergangner Zeiten (Dutchman/Senta) 01:48:50 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 2: Trio: Verzeiht! Mein Volk hält draußen sich nicht mehr (Daland/Senta/Dutchman) 01:51:05 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 3: Introduction (Orchestra) 01:51:55 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 3: No. 7: Scene and Chorus: Steuermann, laß die Wacht! (Chorus/Steersman) 02:06:20 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 3: No. 8: Finale: Was muß ich hören! Gott, was muß ich sehn! (Erik/Senta) 02:08:54 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 3: Cavatina: Willst jenes Tags du nicht dich mehr entsinnen (Erik) 02:11:54 Der Fliegende Hollander: Act 3: Verloren! Ach, verloren! (Dutchman/Erik/Senta/Daland/Mary/Chorus)