Posted February 27, 2012

Wagner’s Der Flieglende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) opens March 9, 2013 in Los Angeles, for six performances. James Conlon conducts a borrowed co-production of Chicago and San Francisco directed by Nicholas Lehnhoff with sets by Raimund Bauer, costumes by Andrea Schmidt-Futterer.  Making Los Angeles company debut are Icelandic baritone Tómas Tómasson as the Dutchman and soprano Elisabete Matos portraying Senta; Jay Hunter Morris returns to Los Angeles as Erik.  Rounding out the cast are Ronnita Nicole Miller as Mary and James Creswell as Daland.

San Francisco Opera goers may remember this 2004 Flying Dutchman which was within the hull of ship with the propeller (or radiation warning symbol – if you will) at the back of the stage.  But what will really cement this production in your mind was the stunning San Francisco debut of Nina Stemme as Senta and the U.S. debut of bass-baritone Juha Uusitalo as the Dutchman.

Dates:  March 9, 17, 21, 24, 27 and 30, 2013

One could pair this with Rossini’s Cenerentola, which runs concurrent with Flying Dutchman – Cenerentola is the tale of an unhappy maiden seeking redemption from an oppressive life – only to be rescued by a mysterious man . . but without the suicide at the end.

Photo courtesy of San Francisco Opera from the 2004 production of Der fliegende Holländer