CHANDOS

CHAN 3119 BOOK.qxd 20/9/06 12:00 pm Page 12identification with the dream in which Erikpredicts the action of the rest of the opera.Going beyond the simple idea of a-life-for-alifeproposed by the climax of Heine’s story,Wagner arrived at a psychoanalyticalperception of the central core of theDutchman legend. His story becomes one ofrestoration in which the dreamer (the cursedsailor) has to be returned to his original, ‘right’state of mind before his mad act of hubris (theoath to round the cape at any cost). Thisrestoration can only be achieved when ahuman being from ‘normal’ life comes tounderstand fully and to feel compassion forthe action and sufferings of the dreamer.Wagner also introduced influences from lessspecific sources. Ahasuerus’s frustratedattempts at suicide in Nicholas Lenau’s epicpoems about the Wandering Jew suggested thefailure of the Dutchman (as told in hisopening monologue) to run his ship agroundor have himself killed by pirates. The placingand content of Senta’s Ballad – some of thefirst music for the opera composed in Paris –owe much to the heroine’s Ballad inBoieldieu’s The White Lady, Act II of whicheven begins with a spinning scene. Marschner,a contemporary whose scores Wagner bothknew and conducted, set his The Vampire inScotland. It includes a ballad sung by a localgirl about the vampire legend which describesthe anti-hero with the identical phrase Sentafinds for the Dutchman, ‘den bleichen Mann’(‘the pale man’, a common tag for sexuallydesired un-deads in nineteenth-centuryliterature).Putting his own wide reading and listeningto fullest advantage, Wagner was not only ableto make his Dutchman a classic of whatbecame known as the Schauerromantik (‘horrorromance’) genre but to transcend his rivals,much as Shakespeare’s Hamlet had done forJacobean tragedy and Puccini’s Tosca would forverismo opera. As his career developed Wagnerreturned to the Dutchman score with affectionbut, whenever he himself led performances,never without making some changes. First hesoftened the brashness of parts of the originalscoring, especially for the brass. (HectorBerlioz, in a generally favourable review of anearly Dresden performance, had criticised adependence on tremolando effects anddiminished sevenths.) Then he altered theending of both overture and opera in the lightof his ‘new’ Tristan-style transformation music,presenting a clearer musical illustration of thestory’s redemptive ending. Finally, whileworking on a ‘model’ production for KingLudwig II in Munich, he considered entirelyrewriting Senta’s Ballad, work which got nofurther than a rough sketch.Wagner himself was never able to realisewhat seems to have been his ideal ofpresenting the opera in one act. It isperformed like that on the present recording,which also incorporates the completedchanges Wagner made to the score during hislifetime.© 2004 Mike AshmanThe Legend of the Flying DutchmanA Dutch sea captain of a merchant ship,caught in terrible seas as he tried to round theCape of Good Hope, swore that he wouldsucceed even if this took him until the Day ofJudgement. Satan heard this blasphemy andcondemned him and his crew to sail the seasfor all eternity. The Dutchman was grantedone chance of redemption: that he bepermitted to leave his ship once in every sevenyears to seek a woman whose love would betrue to him until death. This fidelity alonecould lift the curse. Another term of sevenyears has now expired and the Dutchmanagain comes ashore to seek again a womanwho will save him from his endless fate.SynopsisCOMPACT DISC ONEThe action is set on the Norwegian coastScene 11 – 2Daland’s ship, almost home, is forcedto anchor seven miles up the coast to findshelter from a violent storm. He thinks of hisdaughter, Senta. The exhausted crew soon fallasleep, including the Steersman whom Dalandhas placed on watch.3A second ship now appears – that of theFlying Dutchman. The Dutchman recountshow he has tried to end his life of eternaltorment by drowning himself, running hisship aground and battling with pirates – all tono avail.4Daland appears back on deck and chidesthe Steersman for failing to keep watch. Theysee the Dutchman’s ship and Daland offers theDutchman his hospitality. The Dutchmanboards Daland’s ship and offers him vastwealth in return for a night’s hospitality andalso the possibility of marriage to Daland’sdaughter, Senta. A change in the windallows both ships to set sail for Daland’s homeport.12 13