The Flying Dutchman (Der Fliegende Hollander)

Synopsis

The haunting legend of the Dutchman condemned to sail the seas for eternity unless redeemed by loving self sacrifice.

Our Review:

Keith McDonnell - 29 April 2012

The first night of ENO’s new staging of The Flying Dutchman starts thrillingly. Music director Edward Gardner’s downbeat unleashes a mighty and violent sound from the orchestra, and there’s nothing to distract from the music as the curtain is down. But after a few short minutes the curtain rises on a foreboding moonlit scene, waves crash against an invisible shore, and we see a terrified young girl in bed seeking solace from her aloof father. It’s the young Senta and her old salty sea-dog of a father Daland. If he’d given her a hug, a cup of cocoa and a copy of Goldilocks and the Three Bears the evening would no doubt have been a lot shorter, and we’d have probably been in the bar after the overture, but he doesn’t. He pushes her away and gives her a hefty tome with a picture of the Flying Dutchman on it – obviously parenting skills aren’t part of his makeup, so it’s no surprise that when we see the grown up Senta ...

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Latest User Review

Joe Alder - 30 April 2012:

Very poor and an indication that ENO lacks the music staff anymore to do Wagner - you do not need to go to Specsavers Keith because what you saw was correct but they also give help with hearing and Senta being 'faultlessly voiced' is not right sorry - Boylan is often as squally(!) as the production and for Creswell it should be no colour! Clearly Bayley should have sung the Dutchman if the casting dept at the ENO really knew their stuff. I loved the comment about Skelton ... what is it with these heldentenors and their weight?? Whether ENO can be bothered with more Wagner soon I am not sure but if they do they should bring in a German conductor who - however good the orchestra is - will not conduct it like Verdi....

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