The story of the restless seaman who is condemned by a curse to sail the seas for ever already had its place in antique legend and in traditional tales of many countries. Richard Wagner (1813-1883) called it “the people’s mythical poem” which surfaced to him “so repeatedly and with irresistible attraction out of the swamp of life”.

The central element of his “Flying Dutchman” is Senta’s ballad. In it the young daughter of a sea-captain tells the other women in the spinning-room of the pale man whom a curse forces to sail the seven seas eternally until he should find a woman who can redeem him by her faithfulness. Senta believes it her destiny to be that redeemer. Like a picture from times long past the Dutchman suddenly enters her life. She swears him faithfulness unto death, and is able to keep her promise and fulfil her mission.
 
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Richard Wagner

DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER
(The Flying Dutchman)
Opera in three acts
Libretto by Richard Wagner
 
In German with surtitles
 

Musikalische Leitung Marc Piollet
Inszenierung Adolf Dresen
Bühne und Kostüme Wolf Münzner
Chorleitung Christoph Kurig
 
Holländer Almas Svilpa
Senta Morenike Fadayomi
Erik Corby Welch
Daland Thorsten Grümbel
Steuermann Johannes Preißinger
Mary Sarah Ferede
Chor Chor der Deutschen Oper am Rhein
Orchester Düsseldorfer Symphoniker