Richard Wagner (1813-1883): The Flying Dutchman
If you encountered a ship at sea with red sails and a black mast...
Author: Richard Wagner
Conductor: Jakub Klecker, Pavel Šnajdr
Director: Roman Polák
Set Design: Pavel Borák
Costume Design: Peter Čanecký
Chorus Master: Pavel Koňárek
Dramaturgy: Pavel Petráněk, Tomáš Pilař
Assistant Conductor: Pavel Šnajdr
Assistant Stage Director: Otakar Blaha
Musical Preparation: Jakub Klecker
Choreography: Stanislava Vlčeková
In 2013, the world of music commemorates several important anniversaries, including the 200thanniversary of the birth of the German composer, Richard Wagner, whose works changed and revolutionised the form of the opera genre forever. Wagner’s inspiration to write an opera about a cursed ship came from Heinrich Heine’s book, Aus den Memoiren des Herren von Schnabelewopski (The Memoirs of Mister von Schnabelewopski), which introduced the nautical legend of the Flying Dutchman. He was equally inspired by his personal experience of a treacherous and stormy sea journey sailing on the ship, Thetis, which lasted several days. It is said that this frightening experience inspired Wagner’s overture to the opera. With The Flying Dutchman, Wagner finally embarked on writing musical drama, which is so typical of his later works. The premiere took place under the baton of the composer in Dresden in 1843. The first Czech production of The Flying Dutchman was in 1856 at the Estates Theatre conducted by František Škroup and today this work is one of Wagner’s most frequently presented operas on Czech opera stages.
