Photo by Kathy Wittman
In its exhilarating production of Richard Wagner’s first successful opera, the Florentine Opera brought excitement to a work often overlooked in comparison with his later achievements. The Flying Dutchman does not have the mellifluous continuum, those mesmerizing leitmotifs that define Wagner’s later signature style, but the action never lagged, due largely to the Florentine’s energized approach to Wagner’s urgent, dramatic melodies.
The orchestra gave clear-cut authority to the story, emphasizing the sea in a series of effective male choruses vigorously directed by Chorus Master Scott Stewart. The production also provided a powerfully endowed cast whose forceful vocal and dramatic energies gave the work a credence that kept the fanciful legend from sinking into predictable operatic routine. The sea captain Daland, powerfully sung with calm assurance by bass Peter Volpe, met the mysterious Dutchman. Center stage moved quickly to the magnificent bass-baritone of Wayne Tigges, whose sonorously effortless vocalization matched the character to a T, providing low-register chest tones that thrilled the ear with no loss of transparency. As the man doomed to roam the seven seas, he gave a formidable performance.
The staging was unique. A harbinger of the drama to come appeared in an unexpected vignette during the overture. We saw Senta as a little girl reading the legend of the Dutchman and having nightmares that will haunt her later. The curtain opened to reveal the ship, an angular wooden trapeze with a triangular center. White sheets dropped to serve as sails. Filmed visuals gave us the sea. Noele Stollmack designed the neo-realistic set.
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As Senta, Alwyn Mellor began her famous ballad rather too cautiously with an excess of vibrato, but as the dramatic conclusion approached, her huge soprano opened to glorious high notes. The final duets between the principals, including tenor David Danholt as the hapless lover Erik, reverberated with some of the most thrillingly sung moments in recent Florentine performances.
