The Flying Dutchman (opera)

The Flying Dutchman (original German title: Der fliegende Holländer) is an opera, music and libretto by Richard Wagner. Wagner originally wrote it be performed without intermission -- an example of his efforts to break with tradition -- and, while today's opera houses sometimes still follow this directive, it is most often performed in three acts. The central theme is redemption through love, which Wagner returns to in most of his subsequent operas.

Related Topics:
German - Opera - Libretto - Richard Wagner

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wagner conducted the premiere at the Semper Oper in Dresden, 1843. This work marks the first major shift in Wagner's oeuvre away from opera and towards music drama. That is, rather than relying on a series of individual songs with clear boundaries, he created an uninterrupted melody filled with leitmotifs (literally, 'leading motifs') associated with the characters and themes. The leitmotifs are all contained in the overture, which begins with a well-known ocean or storm motif before moving into the Dutchman and Senta motifs.

Related Topics:
Semper Oper - Dresden - 1843 - Leitmotifs

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The story comes from the legend of the Flying Dutchman, about a ship captain condemned to sail until Judgement Day. Wagner claimed in Mein Leben that the inspiration was partly autobiographical, arising during his stormy sea crossing in July and August 1839, but a more likely source is Heinrich Heine's retelling in his Aus den Memoiren de Herren von Schnabelewopski.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~