Der fliegende Holländer

The composer's own stormy sea voyage from Germany to England may have provided impetus for his inspired treatment of the famous legend. The Flying Dutchman, having struggled to round the Cape of Good Hope during a whirling gale, recklessly swears to complete the task, even if it takes an eternity. He is condemned by the forces of darkness to sail until Judgment Day, unless he meets a woman willing to die in order to save him. Permitted to land only once every seven years to seek redemption, the Dutchman's ship docks in a Norwegian coastal town where he encounters Senta. Already obsessed with the gloomy myth, she is torn between her lover Erik, and the compelling, mysterious stranger. Wagner's wild and haunting opera, first heard in 1843, is his earliest work to be performed regularly worldwide. Don't miss this powerful close to our season!

Production co-sponsored by the Lupin Foundation and People's Health

With additional support from Woodward Design+Build