Wagner - Der Fliegende Holländer | Simon Estes, Matti Salminen

Wagner - Der Fliegende Holländer | Simon Estes, Matti Salminen | Intro to Wagner

DVDs:

Wagner - Der Flieg...

	Wagner - Der Fliegende Holländer Simon Estes, Matti Salminen Deutsche Grammophon, 2005 average customer review:based on 12 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Over the top, like Wagner wrote it.

This is a well-conducted, well-sung performance that, due to the director,stage designer and TV director becomes a great DVD. This is the first performance of Fliegende Hollander I have seen that is faithful to the almost insane intensity of Wagner's creation. Realistically, how does one make sense of Senta? Kupfer's brooding, internal, dreaming, romantic/compassionate heroine matches the self-focused dreaming of Wagner's longing for a "perfect woman", loving, attracted to him, yet eternally nurturant. The staging illuminates the work" the first appearance of the Dutchman's ship is chilling; Estes and Bailey make their duet an ecstatic dance of two people longing to meet yet dodging the meeting.

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Intro to Wagner

I have never seen nor heard a Wagnerian opera before and was intimidated, but wanted to try. Dutchman was his shortest opera and most "traditional" so I thought it would be a good introduction for me.
I believe that I was correct. I enjoyed this opera a great deal, perhaps even more than I expected to.
My main complaint for this opera is Senta. The woman who sang her role looked crazy the entire time, like a patient escaped from a mental hospital. Perhaps that was the intent, but it detracted from my enjoyment. It was not making the whole thing her dream that bothered me but the deranged look she had on her face the entire time and her spasmodic movements.
The rest of the cast was good though it was odd to see a black man repeatedly referred to as pale. {For what it's worth, for all the white Aida's who've worn make-up to look black, why couldn't Estes have worn make-up to look "pale"?}
For me, this opera met its objectives. I have heard a Wagnerian opera and enjoyed it. I am looking forward to broadening my listening horizons further. A few years from now I may even be ready to listen to the Ring!

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Matti Salminen steals the show

This performance should be titled: "The Story of the Sea Captain Who Sells his Daughter."

reviews: page 1, 2, 3

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