Premiered in 1843, Wagner’s first great opera, and his most concise, looks back to the Gothic mysteries of his youth and forward to the penetrating psychological dramas he would later craft. Love, greed, hubris and obsession drive a narrative shaped by the sea and those whose lives depend on it, opening with a violent storm in which echoes of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Weber can be heard, and punctuated by folk-like ballads for the sailors and the women who wait for their return. Cursed to sail for eternity with his ghostly crew, the Dutchman can only be redeemed by the love of a faithful woman. Daland’s daughter Senta, betrothed to Erik, is shocked to recognise the Dutchman from an ancient painting acquired by her grandmother. Their love is instant, but will it be strong enough to lift the Dutchman’s curse?

Wagner: The Flying Dutchman (at Opera Holland Park)

Opera Holland Park

An unusual program where Antonio Pappano, Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, demonstrates both his opera experience and his dramatic flair. Vilde Frang interprets Beethoven's Violin Concerto on a 1734 Guarneri. Sarah Jakubiak and Clay Hilley can be heard in Wagner's "Liebestod" act from Tristan und Isolde. In addition to his role as Siegfried, the American heroic tenor has already earned acclaim in the Festspielhaus as the emperor in Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten.

Neal Cooper

Events

Upcoming events

Jul 5, 2026

Wagner & Beethoven · Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

Past events

May 27 - Jun 14, 2025

Wagner: The Flying Dutchman (at Opera Holland Park) · City of London Sinfonia

Future and recently performed repertoire

Melot in Tristan und Isolde by Wagner

Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

Erik in The Flying Dutchman by Wagner

City of London Sinfonia

About

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