Wednesday, February 10, 2010

The Flying Dutchman: Click/Read/Watch/Listen

It's time to start prepping for The Flying Dutchman, Madison Opera's first-ever production of an opera by the revolutionary German composer Richard Wagner [pronounced Vahg-ner]. For this edition of Click/Read/Watch/Listen, I've decided to ditch the cumbersome PDF and offer all of our Dutchman-related links live on the blog. If you don't know anything about Wagner or this opera, the following articles and multimedia selections should provide an accessible introduction to the story and music of Dutchman, as well as to the composer's unique place in history. There's also plenty in here for the expert and devoted Wagnerite, so enjoy!

Basics
  • Title: Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman)
  • Composer and Librettist: Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
  • Premiere: January 2, 1843 in Dresden
IntroductionDelving DeeperMultimedia
  • Video: OperaTalk! (San Diego Opera's introduction to The Flying Dutchman)
  • Video: Overture to The Flying Dutchman (Karl Bohm conducts)
  • Video: Senta's Ballad (featuring Turid Karlsen, Madison Opera's Senta)
  • Video: The Sailors' Chorus
POPera Connections
  • Audio: Jethro Tull, "The Flying Dutchman" (1979)
  • TV: "What's Opera Doc?" (1957 Warner Bros. classic opera spoof with music of The Flying Dutchman and other Wagner operas)
  • TV: Twilight Zone, "Death Ship" (1963)
  • TV: SpongeBob Squarepants, "Ghost Host" (The Flying Dutchman is a recurring character in ten episodes)
  • Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean (2006, Davy Jones captains The Dutchman)

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