The Flying Dutchman (opera)

• Daland, a Norwegian sailor ( bass)
• Senta, his daughter (Soprano)
• Erik, a hunter (Tenor)
• Mary, Senta's nurse (Alt )
• The helmsman Daland (Tenor)
• The Dutchman (baritone )
• Sailors of the Norwegian. The crew of the Flying Dutchman. Girl (chorus )

The Flying Dutchman, " Romantic opera in three acts " ( as the original name) is an opera by Richard Wagner, which was premiered in 1843.

The material for the action provided the history of the Dutch captain Bernard Fokke (see the legend of the Flying Dutchman ). This succeeded - unlike many other navigators - not to drive around the Cape of Good Hope. He tried to defy God and the forces of nature, but not wrestled her down, because he cursed them, and since then has been doomed to cross forever with his ghost ship on the high seas. Every one to whom this ship met with black mast and blood- red sails was misfortune predetermined.

Richard Wagner wrote the opera in the wake of a stormy voyage and then moved the action from the Cape of Good Hope in the original version from 1841 to Scotland, then to Norway. Often the piece is considered his breakthrough to your own style. The opera was completed in its first version in 1841 and premiered on January 2, 1843 at the Royal Court Theatre, with moderate success in Dresden. After only four performances, she was taken off the Schedule. In 1860, Wagner was then revised the original version, especially the musical overture and the final has been changed.

• 5.1 Overview (1901 to 1971)
• 5.2 Duration of individual conductors

• 6.1 productions in original language
• 6.2 productions in translations

Biographical Background and origins

Richard Wagner resigned in August 1837 at the theater in Riga, the position of music director at. There he was 1837/38 for the first time carefully the memoirs of Schnabelewopski by Heinrich Heine on the legend of the Flying Dutchman. In 1839 he lost his job and found himself out of fear of his creditors that he could not pay, forced to cross the Russian- East Prussian border and flee. He booked passage on the schooner / Bark Thetis to London. The more than two -week trip had been delayed by stormy seas, the ship became nearly in distress. Wagner learned both in the port of pillau as well as the crossing to England by the sailors some characteristic motifs and sailor customs. Move the ship was due to the raging storm twice Norwegian ports, one of which is Sandwike, cited by name in the factory. - All experiences was living for Wagner color for the later work.

Richard Wagner described in his autobiography My Life, how sustainable at sea led him those two weeks mood and character of the saga in sight and it became the inspiration. It was initially based on Heine's tale, but brought to a decisive and significant change: he added a supplementary character of Erik, so that its main female character, which he then Senta called, between this actual beloved and dreamed mystical figure of the Dutchman out - and is torn. The longing for the eternal loyalty of a beloved woman is the central theme of this work.

After a short stay in London Wagner traveled to Paris, his real aim on. In the former center of the music world he was able to earn his livelihood with difficulty and by poorly paid writer and translational activities. In this emergency he had to his design for the Flying Dutchman at the Paris Opera sell ( he was fantôme under the title Le vaisseau - " Ghost Ship " by Pierre -Louis Dietsch set to music ), because he did not succeed, even a commission for it to get. However, he went from early 1841 itself to the composition of the work, the orchestral sketch he " In distress and worries " ended in August with the remark; in November and the work was completed with the score. Try to leave it in Berlin bring the premiere were unsuccessful.

Richard Wagner left in April 1842 Paris to Dresden, where Rienzi had accepted his work for the premiere. After the resounding success of this work was also the premiere of his Flying Dutchman nothing in the way, which then also took place on 2 January, 1843 at the Dresden Court Theatre.

Orchestra

• Piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, including a English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons
• 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, Ophicleide
• Swot
• Harp
• First and second violins, violas, cellos and double basses
• On stage: 3 piccolos, 6 horns, a tam-tam, a wind machine

Action

Act One

The ship of the Daland caught in a heavy storm and is not far from the home port in a sheltered bay at anchor. While the team rests, there also the lands spooky out of nowhere emerging vessel of the Dutchman, who had once sworn blasphemous, he would not cease for ever to circumnavigate the Cape of Good Hope, and therefore actually eternally at sea to be damned is. Only every seven years is granted him to go ashore. He found there a woman who would remain faithful to him, so he and his crew were saved. Just are again seven years passed (. The time is around - and again passed seven year full weariness cast me ashore sea ...); The Dutchman hopes desperately on the full love of a woman, that he regained his mortality and can finally die:

" Only one hope to remain me only a stand unshaken: as long as the earth propel germs, but it must perish. Day of judgment! Judgement Day! When you break in my night? When he roars, the finishing blow, with the collapses the world? When all the dead rise again, I will pass away into nothing, pass away into nothingness ... Your worlds ends your run! Eternal destruction, take me! "

Nevertheless, he is campaigning for Daland for the hand of his daughter Senta. Daland, impressed by the rich treasures that has collected on his voyage of the Dutch, agrees. After the storm has subsided, the two ships will sail towards Daland's home.

Act Two

In one room, the girls expect singing and spinning the return of their loved ones traveling by sea. Only Senta does not want to sing along and asks instead, her nurse Mary to tell of the "Flying Dutchman", whose fate it touches. Senta is being courted by a young huntsman Erik, who worried the musings of his loved one perceives that seems always ahead of the bleak picture of the sailor to forget everything else. Senta feels called to redeem the " poor man ". Erik angrily leaves the girl as Senta's father enters the room with the Dutchman. Senta now knows that it's fated to accomplish the work of redemption. Between her and the Dutch created an intimate agreement, and the connection is prepared.

Act Three

In the third act the sailors prepare for hard ( helmsman leave your watch ). Daring they also try to invite the crew of the Dutch ship, but from the ship resounds to meet them only scary ghostly roar, so they flee horrified and scared. Erik reminds Senta once more, to remember their former intimacy and love - and that they have vowed allegiance to him but what Senta denies scared. The incoming Dutch overheard the conversation and is sure that even Senta can not hold the expected loyalty to him and will. To prevent them from damnation, he tells her (which they already know ) the curse (Learn the skill before you I shall preserve ). He rushes to his ship to remain forever unresolved. But Senta is after him, proclaimed loudly again, [ ... ] to be faithful to him until death, and plunges into the sea from the rocks. Instantly sinks the ship of the Dutchman in the floods. The Dutchman is redeemed. - In a later correction of the conclusion (1860 ) can be seen to the music with the " salvation motive " the Dutchman and Senta from the sea ascend to heaven.

Music

Wagner's " Dutchman", his fourth completed opera, is on the threshold of through-composed music-drama. While one can speak of an " endless melody " from Lohengrin, prevails in the " Dutchman" nor the " number opera " character before. Recitatives, ballads, arias, duets and choral numbers are still clearly visible. To emphasize the " ballads " nature of the work, it should be played according to the intention of Wagner's non-stop, but this is not always practiced. In the heart of the work is the ballad of Senta, which sums up the more rugged nature of the entire plant. The gloomy and impulsive but audio is already struck by the stormy overture of the work. In this tone, the aria of the Dutchman is held during his appearance on the first lift. The predominance of closed song forms extends over the first two pictures. Characteristic of the entire opera is musically impressive representation of the forces of nature. Strings can be high waves thundering on the rugged Norwegian coastline, storms and lightning are brass, especially trombones and trumpets, and referred concise musical motifs. Almost eerily affects the " Johohoe " the sailors of the ghost ship, while the world of Daland and his men is drawn rather Biedermeier cozy. As one of the most famous opera choruses shows the sailors choir at the beginning of the third image, the incompatibility between reality and vision: the seemingly strong song of the sailors Daland is superimposed on slowly and almost absorbed by the unreal sounds from the Dutch ship.

It seems remarkable that the composer still in 1880, three years before his death (1883 ), thought of a makeover and improve its long played everywhere successful work of 1841. At the Bayreuth Festival The Flying Dutchman was first performed in 1901 in a production of Siegfried Wagner and under the musical direction of Felix Mottl. Thus, the " canon" of today coming in Bayreuth for the performance works of Wagner was complete.

Playing time ( on the example of the Bayreuth Festival )

At the Bayreuth Festival, it was customary to record the length of the individual elevators, but there not all years were recorded. The duration also differed in the same conductors from year to year and performance to performance. Influence on the duration also had the kind of voice and temperament of the singer.

Overview (1901 to 1971)

• Shortest Duration: 2:06 hrs, Wolfgang Sawallisch (1959 ), Otmar Suitner (1965 )
• Longest Duration: 2:33 hrs, Hans Knappertsbusch (1955 )
• Span: 27 minutes ( 21%, based on the shortest time)

Duration of individual conductors

* Total weight of the logged Aktlängen 48 min. , 52 min. and 26 min. * Total weight of the logged Aktlängen 47 min. , 53 min. and 26 min.

Performances in the 19th century

Productions in original language

• Dresden ( premiere: January 2, 1843)

Already half a year after the premiere brought two more stages the work for the performance:

• Riga (3 June 1843) and
• Kassel (June 5, 1843).

It was followed by productions in

• Berlin ( 1844),
• Zurich (1852 )
• Prague ( 1856),
• Vienna ( 1860),
• Munich ( 1864), so-called Munich pattern ideas
• Rotterdam ( 1869) and many other places.

Productions in translations

As of 1870, the opera was played in translations:

• Italian: London ( 1870), Dublin (1877 ), Bologna (1877 ), Barcelona ( 1885), Turin (1885 ), Rome (1887 ), Florence (1887 ), Buenos Aires ( 1887), New York Met (1892 ) Milan (1893 ), Lisbon (1893 ), Moscow (1894 ), Madrid ( 1896)
• English: London, ( 1870), New York ( 1877), Edinburgh ( 1877), Mexico (1891 ), Montreal (1895 )
• Swedish: Stockholm ( 1872)
• French: Brussels ( 1872), New Orleans ( 1877), Lille (1893 ), Geneva ( 1893), Rouen (1896 ), Paris ( 1897)
• Hungarian: Budapest ( 1873)
• Danish: Copenhagen ( 1884)
• Dutch: Antwerp ( 1895)
• Croatian: Zagreb ( 1896)
• Slovenian: Ljubljana ( 1900)

Reception and musical adaptations

• Paul Hindemith parodied in 1925, the overture in a version for string quartet entitled Overture to " The Flying Dutchman " as she plays a bad morning spa chapel at 7 am Brunnen from the leaf.
• Paul sound path parodied a larger number of opera under the title operas Bavarian, including the Dutchman who is laid for ease of understanding in Lake Starnberg near Munich. This compressed opera was last performed at Wagner's 200th birthday at the Luisenburg Festival.