This season Opera Holland Park has had a first stab at Wagner with The Flying Dutchman, this work being a doable two and a half hours as opposed to the usual four.

The legend of a Dutch sea-captain, condemned to sail the ocean forever, until he finds the love of a good, faithful, woman, was a simple but compelling tale for Wagner. Out of it, Wagner created a score of incredible sombre beauty and poignancy, one, which also contained moments of grace and light.

Baritone, Paul Carey Jones, was wonderfully cast as the Dutchman, looking every inch the Wagnerian hero with his exuberant mane of long, grey hair. His command of the dark, mysterious part, was dramatically spot on. Both proud and anxious, Jones brought great humanity to the role where his outsider status was so keenly projected and felt in his vocals and in those gorgeous sliding dissonances. 

Eleanor Dennis, as Senta, possessed a fine soprano of Wagnerian proportions, and her statuesque presence on stage made her the perfect match for Paul Carey-Jones’s Dutchman – their duets were divine.

In the role of Daland, Robert Winslade Anderson had a pleasing bass and brought humour to the part in the scene when he imagines the riches the Dutchman will bring to the household. Neil Cooper as Eric, was convincing as Senta’s former love, using his sharp tenor to the maximum, to express anger.

The male and female choruses were stunning and brought both joy, warmth and energy to the proceedings.

If I have any quibbles – it was to do with direction – and a wardrobe decision!

I was at first puzzled by the decision to clothe all the women in the opening scene, in the same beige raincoat. At first it felt a distraction and arbitrary. In hindsight, it was interesting, suggesting the cohesiveness of the community of women, who spent much time with each other, waiting for their husbands or lovers, to return. In later scenes, to show Senta’s increasing disassociation from her community, we saw her keep her raincoat on as the others had removed theirs. When she meets her Dutchman, the raincoat is of course discarded for an alluring silk dress!

No – the real problem with this otherwise stunning production was the finale.

In Wagner’s opera, Senta goes after her Dutchman as he leaves her to rejoin his ship. He is leaving her as he believes she has betrayed him with Eric. In despair, Senta breaks away from Eric and rushes off to hurl herself into the ocean. She has gone to join her ghostly Dutchman in the non-living world.

In the OHP production, Eleanor Dennis just walked off into the audience. It certainly took the wind out of the Wagnerian sails! Was this a conscious decision by Director, Julia Burbach, to not present Senta as victim? It would have been interesting to interview Burbach about this? Have some sort of debate about it. 

K.H.

Last performance of The Flying Dutchman tonight Saturday 14th June 2025 at Opera Holland Park.