Discover the upcoming dates for Wagner's opera Der fliegende Holländer around the world and book your tickets now!

Der fliegende Holländer, Wagner's first major success, is a work that already heralds the themes dear to the brilliant composer, including that of impossible love.

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This beautiful fresco captivates thanks to the liveliness of the orchestral and vocal writing of the choirs and solo parts. The best introduction to the world of Wagner, the flamboyant and incomparable composer.

Known as Le Vaisseau Fantôme in French, Der Fliegende Holländer marks the transition between the operatic tradition of the first half of the 19th century and a renewal of style, desired and championed by Wagner. Before the revolutionary Tristan und Isolde, this furious and remarkable opera marked the first step towards innovation with the introduction of the "Leitmotiv", which would leave an indelible mark on opera.

HISTORY

The history of the play is deep and not easy to trace the facts of its origin. The action takes place in the Cape of Good Hope, where the Dutch ship is caught in a snowstorm. Captain Daland is begged by the crew to look for a safe haven but he refuses and locks himself in the log cabin. The storm still increase and the captain defy the heaven to submerge the vessel. The play was revived in 1834 by a German playwright Heinrich Heine. The play was further changed to another version in 1843 by Richard Wagner.

MAIN ROLES

• John Michael Watcher, the Dutchman, bass-baritone
• Wilhelmine Schroder-Devrient, Senta, Daland's daughter, soprano
• Friedrich Traugott, Daland, a Norwegian Sea Captain, bass
• Carl Risse, Erik, a huntsman, tenor
• Wenzel Bielezizky, Daland's steersman, tenor
• Therese Watcher, Mary, Senta's nurse, contralto.