Der fliegende Holländer

Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman), WWV 63, is a German-language opera. Richard Wagner wrote both the words and the music. The story is about finding forgiveness and happiness through love. Wagner first performed the opera at the Königliches Hoftheater Dresden in 1843.

Wagner got the idea for this opera after a rough sea trip from Riga to London in 1839. He based his story on a tale told by Heinrich Heine.

In Der fliegende Holländer, Wagner used special musical ideas called leitmotifs. These are tunes that represent different characters or ideas in the story. All these tunes are played at the start in the overture.

The original music for the opera is kept safe at the Richard Wagner Foundation.

Composition history

In 1839, Richard Wagner was working in Riga but had many debts. He wanted to go to Paris to perform his opera Rienzi, but things did not go well. His passport was taken, and he and his wife had to cross the border illegally.

Wagner arrived in Paris but could not find work. He lived in poverty and wrote articles to earn money. He decided to write a one-act opera called The Flying Dutchman, inspired by a story he read. He finished the story in 1841 and the music later that year. The opera was performed in Dresden in 1843, conducted by Wagner himself. He changed the setting from Scotland to Norway just before the first performance.

Roles

Instrumentation

Der fliegende Holländer uses many musical instruments to make its sounds. The main instruments include flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, trombones, a bass tuba, timpani, a harp, and strings such as violins, violas, violoncellos, and double basses.

Special instruments are also used during shows, like extra piccolos, more horns, a tam tam, and a wind machine to help tell the story.

Synopsis

Place: On the coast of Norway

Act 1

A sea captain named Daland is traveling home but must stop near a town called Sandwike in southern Norway because of bad weather. He leaves his helmsman to watch the ship and goes to rest with his sailors. The helmsman falls asleep. Suddenly, a strange ghostly ship appears and sticks to Daland’s ship. A pale man with a thick black beard steps onto Daland’s ship. He is sad because he is cursed to sail the seas forever. An angel told him that every seven years he can try to find a wife who will stay true to him, and then he will be free from his curse.

Daland wakes up and meets the stranger. The stranger learns that Daland has a daughter named Senta and asks to marry her, offering a chest full of treasure. Daland, wanting the gold, agrees to the marriage. The wind changes, and both ships sail toward Daland’s home.

Act 2

Some local girls are singing and spinning in Daland’s house. Senta, Daland’s daughter, looks at a beautiful picture of the legendary sea captain and wishes to save him. She tells her friends the story of the sea captain, how he was taken because of a promise he made. She promises to save him by staying true to him.

A huntsman named Erik, who used to love Senta, arrives and warns her about a dream he had of Daland returning with a strange man who would take her away. But Senta listens happily, and Erik leaves feeling sad.

Daland arrives with the stranger. Daland can barely get Senta’s attention, even when he introduces the stranger as her betrothed. In a duet at the end of the act, Senta promises to stay true to the stranger until death.

Act 3

Later that evening, the local girls bring food and drink to Daland’s men. They ask the crew of the strange ship to join them, but the crew refuses. The girls leave, and ghostly shapes are seen working on the strange ship, scaring Daland’s men away.

Senta arrives, followed by Erik, who scolds her for leaving him, as she had loved him before and promised to stay faithful. When the stranger hears this, he feels hopeless, thinking he will never be free. He calls his men, tells Senta about the curse, and declares that he is “Der fliegende Holländer.”

As the sea captain’s ship leaves, Senta jumps into the sea, saying she will stay true to him forever. This saves him. The ghostly ship disappears, and Senta and the sea captain are seen rising to the heavens.

Recordings

This section lists different recordings of the opera Der fliegende Holländer. These recordings let people enjoy the music and story even if they cannot see a live show. The list gives information about each recording, such as the conductors, orchestras, and singers.