As Welsh National Opera celebrates the milestone of 80 years, there is a sense of hope in the air. They have had several setbacks, but seem to be out of the worst of it now – all of which is very comforting, and the promise of exciting seasons coming up can whet appetites of old and new audiences alike.
In this new version of Wagner’s Flying Dutchman, Jack Furness has melded the Deadliest Catch TV show with the spirit of the mythology honoured by the composer. There are some very pretty moments, yet most are typically dark and mysterious. The extensive overture is met with Senta’s mother, here played by chorus member Rhiannon Llewellyn – not actually a character in the opera, but in this production seemingly to prove a point.
She endures agonising contractions as the violent ebb and flow of the score is cleverly paired with these tensions (the imagery is mirrored at the end of the night). Senta is then seen as a young girl – her red coat a mainstay of the show, as she runs around the stage in circles – and subsequently as an adult.
This oldest Senta might have been the best singing of the night. Rachel Nicholls gets to prove this in her second act aria, all about the fate of the Dutchman – cursed to sail the seas every seven years, only to go on land to find a woman, namely Senta, to rid him of his plight.
Wagner’s operas are typically very gendered, and here the wonderful Sewing Chorus sees the sailors’ wives making clothes, prior to Senta’s big outburst. The rest of the opera is male-heavy: the Dutchman himself, Erik, Daland and The Steersman. Originally set on the Norwegian coast, there is no clear location for this production, though period costumes by Elin Steele demonstrate the litany of women who in the past have tried to save this antihero; the Dutchman’s costumes prove his age, not out of place in an Elizabethan drama.
Simon Bailey carries the weight of the title role well, capturing much of the part vocally – a rather demanding task with little respite. As Erik, the suited lover of Senta who gets in the way of the action, Leonardo Caimi left me unimpressed, not fulfilling the gusto of the role (admittedly, another demanding one). Mary, leader of the sewing circle, was taken on by Monika Sawa, who has a rich mezzo and could have been heard more.
Recent stagings of The Flying Dutchman have sexed up the role of the Steersman, and here was no different. Trystan Llŷr Griffiths, seen with WNO in Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute, remains a lyrical tenor who, as a local, we should be proud of. His lurching behaviour at the party in the third act is questionable, as he attempts to woo a lady, only to be rebuffed. James Creswell is Senta’s papa Daland, who jumps at the chance to get his daughter a husband; vocally, he’s spry and a little rough around the edges, just like the character.
A standout musical moment was the meeting of the Dutchman and Senta, which you don’t hear this in the overture and may have been the most soulful bars of the night. Wagner may have also stolen some music from Schumann’s Piano Concerto – Senta’s aria does sound very similar to passages in that. The WNO Orchestra & Chorus make for fantastic, earthy Wagner interpreters, even if they rarely get to play him nowadays, and conductor Tomáš Hanus got bolder as the night stormed on, his vivacity for his orchestra never waning and his understanding of this musical sphere ever-present.
This was Hanus’ last WNO showing as the company’s music director, and at the curtain CEOs Adele Thomas and Sarah Crabtree came on stage to honour him. We were reminded of the wonderful work made and his devotion to Janáček and the personal story of Brundibár.
Strangely, though, I found myself with no goosebumps during this show. Even with all the rollicking, seafaring drama of the whole thing, Senta and the Dutchman really don’t get enough time together – showing why Wagner’s longer operas work well, being able to really get into relationships.
The Flying Dutchman, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 16 Apr
Also on Sun 19 Apr. Tickets: £22-£67/£10 under-16s. Info: here
words JAMES ELLIS
