This should have been my first live experience in Bayreuth. Unfortunately, it wasn't. The painful memory of this lost occasion made me refrain from any video watch for a long time. Then my interest faded into other things. Finally yesterday, after eleven years, I dared to watch the video of this Flying Dutchman that I would have had to witness on August 6, 2013 at the Festspielhaus. In 2013, Wagner's 200th Anniverary was being celebrated, and that year's edition began with a performance of this masterpiece, the first of the Bayreuth canon, whose (then) current production was premiered in 2012. It is striking how, of the entire Wagnerian canon, the least recorded work is this one, with only three productions in almost forty years, since there were two that weren't filmed, one of them being the beautiful one by Claus Guth between 2003 and 2006. I have to say that after watching this video, I enjoyed it more than I expected, which was quite a few. I am finally understand those soloists who shine more in Bayreuth than in other theaters, not only because of how well their voices must be heard, but also because of their total devotion, thanks to of the magic of the place. Also, because in a strange compensation of life, I was able to see three members of this cast, the leading couple and the steersman, three years later at the Teatro Real in this same opera and I don't remember their renditions, as much as brilliant as in this production.
Jan Philipp Gloger's staging is product of an era. Katharina Wagner's first years as artistic director meant a change in the quality of the productions presented there, being even more radical than what had been staged up to that moment, many of them being easier to put together and more symbolic. However, I have not understood the production. At first glance, it seems that Gloger seeks to present this story from a criticism of the industrial mass production and also capitalism. In the video edition, during the overture an animation of a black liquid that fills the screen is seen, and then a forest of bars typical of a product code. The first act takes place in an environment that is difficult to determine, with flashing lights whose shapes suggest the interior of a computer hard disk drive, and growing numbers that could allude to stock market prices or industrial production. In this darkness, a boat appears, and on board are Daland and the Steersman, both dressed as executives. The Dutchman appears in the middle of this darkness, with a suitcase, and some stains on his head that suggest that he is a product of this same factory, made with black ink. The second act is probably the most coherent, and has some dramatic credibility. The spinners are the workers in a plastic fan factory, and Mary is Daland's secretary, in charge of overseeing production. Senta does not participate in the labours, but creates a doll with boxes and black ink, an allegory of the Dutchman's portrait. Erik is just another worker, who seems to be in charge of the installations, with a drill press in hand. Here, Senta's innocence and enthusiasm are very well treated, and the ballad is a breathtaking moment, with the stage darkened, and even the initially skeptical Mary is inspired by Senta's enthusiasm. The duet with Erik takes place with the shadow of the Dutchman and Daland in the background. The duet with the Dutchman is of plastic beauty, with the lighting suggesting a grayish tone, the Dutchman becomes humanized, smiling and even being playful, even giving Senta a long kiss on the mouth. In the third act, the famous sailor's dance scene is a company party, after having presented the latest model of the fan. During the chorus of the Dutchman's crew, this advert burns and the crew emerges, all ragged and with their heads painted black. Another of the notable points of the staging is the treatment given to Erik: together with Mary, they are the only rational ones who can save Senta from the madness of her sacrifice. Erik shows Senta photos of her youth, taking her back to happy times with him, but she ultimately opts for the Dutchman, whom she reunites with after stabbing herself in the final scene, while wearing two wings made of cardboard and ink. . In the end, the steersman is the new company, and instead of fans, statues of the two lovers embracing are now produced.
Christian Thielemann was at his peak of his career at the Festival. And certainly, the Festival Orchestra achieves under his baton a performance that is as majestic as it is ominous: within the usual Germanic grandeur that Thielemann joins in, there is a sense of darkness that matches the staging. In this way the brass during the Dutchman's monologue sounds sharp, tragic. The strings during the beginning of Senta's ballad are overwhelming. One doesn't feel the lightness of music that hits like the sea, but rather the more gothic, dense and tragic side of the work. The Bayreuth Choir is one of the best in the world, and this is demonstrated here, especially the female choir which is memorable here.
Samuel Youn is a Dutchman with a beautiful deep voice and careful delivery, although he has some difficulties. I didn't remember it like that in Madrid, but here it is a voice that is a pleasure to hear, and that marks an unforgettable version of the monologue.
Ricarda Merbeth was in her best vocal moment, and singing the Wagnerian heroines that correspond to her, such as Elisabeth or this Senta, who sings remarkably and who acts better, showing the most innocent side and at the same time that redemptive madness that emerges when she sees the Dutch. The Ballad is spectacular although the treble sometimes has some difficulty.
Franz-Josef Selig is an excellent Daland, but he lacks a little volume, although he phrases well and in the Mögst du, mein Kind, in which he combines the most authoritarian, buffoonish and mean side of the character, he sings remarkably . Tomislav Muzek is an Erik with a beautiful lyrical and youthful voice, who stands out in the second act duet with Senta, but in the third act he falls a little short in his aria and the scene. Benjamin Bruns is, on the other hand, an excellent steersman, with a voice that today could sing more lyrical roles, and he is brilliant in his song in the first act and with the chorus in the third. He sang Erik in Madrid in 2016, but it was not the time to sing it. Christa Mayer, recurrent at the Bayreuth Festival editions, sings Mary with her usual velvet-like tone, which sounds very well here.
I think this has been a good time to watch it, now that a lot of time has passed, and to finally heal a small wound in my Wagnerian heart. I also think that, thanks to the magical acoustics and atmosphere of the Festspielhaus, I would have greatly enjoyed the musical level, and would have been the best performance of this opera I could attend ever in my life. But I won't complain for much time. I do know, that the time I enter at the Festspielhaus is closer and closer, and my 20-year desire will be fulfilled. I also do hope, that more chances to attend are coming in a foreseeable future.
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