[Met Performance] CID:333183



Der Fliegende Holländer
Metropolitan Opera House, Fri, November 24, 2000

Debut : Nina Stemme, Roland Wagenführer




Der Fliegende Holländer (140)
Richard Wagner | Richard Wagner
Dutchman
James Morris

Senta
Nina Stemme [Debut]

Erik
Roland Wagenführer [Debut]

Daland
Jan-Hendrik Rootering

Mary
Jill Grove

Steersman
Matthew Polenzani


Conductor
Valery Gergiev


Set Designer
Hans Schavernoch

Costume Designer
Lore Haas

Lighting Designer
Gil Wechsler





Der Fliegende Holländer received eight performances this season.

Review 1:

Martin Bernheimer in the Financial Times (UK)
THE ARTS: She Stoops to conquer OPERA NEW YORK

Wagner's “Der Fliegende Hollander” returned to the Metropolitan this season with an unexpected heroine. In many ways, she turned out to be the most compelling participant in a not too compelling revival.

If all had gone as planned, as seldom is the case in the wondrous and irrational world of opera, the hysterically rapturous Senta would have been portrayed by Sharon Sweet, a rather stodgy prima-donna blessed with a rather beautiful voice. However, when Sweet cancelled her entire engagement (reportedly because of a back injury), the company turned to Nina Stemme, a young Swede not even on the official roster (London saw her at ENO as Puccini's Manon Lescaut).

Stemme commands considerable stamina, a bright, penetrating, essentially lyrical soprano blessed with a radiant top extension, keen dramatic instincts, and an exceptionally attractive, convincing stage persona. She came to New York in time for rehearsals, saw what could be done in the Met's 11-year-old production, and, yes, conquered. At the matinee on Saturday she made the heroine's obsessive infatuation with her ghostly suitor seem natural, sympathetic, even tragic. It was a considerable accomplishment. She found a propulsive ally in Valery Gergiev, who conducted his first German opera here with equal parts passion and sensitivity. In the secondary duties of the Steersman, the young tenor Matthew Polenzani revealed exceptional vocal finesse and expressive point. Otherwise, this Dutchman flew rather low, with the veteran James Morris sounding rather threadbare in the title role, Jan-Hendrik Rootering sounding rather bluff as Daland, and Roland Wagenfuhrer, despite his nice bet-canto orientation, sounding rather pallid as Erik.

The picturesque staging of August Everding and sets of Hans Schavernoch remain effective, some anachronisms notwithstanding. The Dutchman, apparent captain of an ocean liner, enters precariously down a gangplank. Senta and friends are busy sewing while words and music stubbornly insist they are spinning. Mary, their overseer, propels a wheel-chair borrowed from Wieland Wagner.



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