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Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman Concert Review
The Flying Dutchman is one of the best concerts ever been performed. Consisting of three acts, it has been done in two languages, English and German that are both projected over the stage and featured the Austin Opera Orchestra and the Austin Opera Chorus. The Flying Dutchman is a breathtaking story of sacrifice, interposed with raging monologs, rousing choruses, dizzying duets, and an orchestra that depicts the characters’ thoughts and events in the drama. In the drama, one of the central characters is a Dutchman, on whom a curse has been placed to roam the waters in a ghostly ship for a lifetime. Many view it as a punishment for invoking the Devil when he was in one of his voyages out in the ocean. His redemption lies in the love of a faithful woman. This paper summarizes the main ideas portrayed in the drama, the literary styles used and the role of the orchestra in the success of the drama.
The first act of the play begins with a storm, which causes Daland’s ship to seek refuge in a quiet bay. A ghostly stops right besides Daland’s ship. The captain, a Dutchman had defied God by invoking Satan and is cursed to roam the seas forever. Every seven years, the waves cast him ashore to seek his redemption, a faithful wife who will release him from his curse. Once Daland makes the realization that the ship is indeed a phantom, the Dutchman opens up and tells him of all his problems and offers him gold and jewelry in exchange for one night of sleep.

He learns of Daland’s daughter (Senta) and asks her to marry him, which Daland agrees to because he sees the Dutchman as a wealthy future son-in-law.
Act two of the drama begins with Senta’s fascination of the Dutchman. Her friend teases her about her suitor who Erik, the hunter who based on the mainland. Mary is superstitious and cannot bring herself to sing a ballad about the doomed Dutchman but Mary does and decides to save the Dutchman from his curse. There is good news of the sailor’s return when Erik comes back, and he also makes Senta remember the promise she made to her dad that she would find a husband for herself. He implores her to ask her father to accept him as his son-in-law. Unfortunately, Senta has her mind focused on the Dutchman. He tries to make her lose focus of the Dutchman by telling him of his dream. This works against him, and Senta wants to free him even more. The Dutchman proposes to Senta but warns her all the same. His true nature of selflessness is revealed. Senta accepts his proposals, which fill her father with joy.
Act three opens with a celebration from the villagers as the sailors return to the mainland. The strange silence from the Dutchman’s ship puzzles the villagers, and they invite them to join in their celebration. The ghostly sailors are heard chanting which terrifies the villagers who run away. Erik pleads with Senta to marry him claiming that she has not given her vows to the Dutchman which saddens the Dutchman who loses his hopes for salvation and goes back to his ship. Senta sacrifices herself for the Dutchman and promises to be loyal forever. Her actions depict her as an altruistic, compassionate character who is willing to give up everything she holds dear to save someone else.

Luke Quinton, a freelance art critic in his review, introduces Wagner as a great composer. “November’s the season for Wagner, the great German composer. The leaves fall, dark afternoons descend, and the underworld of spirits seems at hand.” (Quinton n.p.). He views Daland as a poor judge of character as he advances the idea of marriage after only a short while of being acquainted with the Dutchman. Quinton’s view on the chorus sung by women working in the village while gossiping is that of energetic elements. He acknowledges the setting in Arizona opera that features gray boards galore, masts, stairs and relevant costumes. His opinion of the setting is that of a cartoon-like setting of the red cast on the last screen of an interesting mist. He says of it, “…perhaps the sketch adds more atmosphere than the chopped up low-resolution of the waves and clouds which seem neither old enough to hold stylistic character or recent enough to flush the audience with the intensity of modern high definition video.” (Quinton n.p.).
Through the two main characters, the Dutchman and Senta, Wagner’s great romantic opera has portrayed the theme of altruism, love, and compassion. In his review, Quinton says that play sounds complicated but is very simple. The visual touches added to the play (vampire-like red silk, bleached skulls, and blackened skies) serve to show that the Flying Dutchman belongs to a realm of gothic fantasy.This paper has summarized the main ideas portrayed in the drama, the literary styles used and the role of the orchestra in the success of the drama.

Works Cited
Quinton L.” Solid acting brightens very Wagner “Flying Dutchman” from Austin Opera” 23 November 2016. http://www.statesman.com/entertainment/arts–theater/solid-acting-brightens-very-wagner-flying-dutchman-from-austin-opera/1YCaF3PPKNg6bnO2dNcKnL/ Accessed 30 November 2016. Web
Wagner, Richard, and Heinrich Heine. Der Fliegende Holländer =: The Flying Dutchman. London: Calder, 1982. Print.