The Virginia Opera Association closed its season with a mostly engaging production of Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” in the Carpenter Center, Sunday.
The production was crafted by Francesca Zambello, artistic director of the Washington National Opera.With stage director Sara Widzer at the helm, the effort essentially caught the emotions of the tale of the sea captain who, cursed by Satan, is forced to sail the seas until he finds true love, something he gets to try every seven years when he’s allowed to dock and seek.It’s a tale of death and redemption, a tale of ghostly proportions, a tale of a maiden’s obsession over a painting of a lone seaman, the Flying Dutchman, and his legend.
Reportedly, Zambello told Widzer to check out the “Twilight” series (vampire inspired novels aimed at a teenage audience) for inspiration and insight.I haven’t a clue what “Twilight” is about but whatever impact it had on this “Dutchman” was misguided.
Good things first.The singing in this “Dutchman” was superior.Faultless across the boards, the cast was on top of the demanding score and held its own against the massive orchestral score which was brilliantly played by the Richmond Symphony under Adam Turner’s steady baton. A significantly stirring performance start to finish.
Soprano Christina Pier, as Senta, the gal charged with providing theDutchman the love needed to break his curse and find eternal peace, was tremendous.Her sound was clear, concise, lyrical and captivating.Bass baritone Wayne Tigges, as the Dutchman, and bass Peter Volpe, as Senta’s dad, Daland, were impressive and commanding.Praise likewise goes to tenor David Black as the steersman and Corey Bix as Erik, Senta’s rejected lover. Mezzo-soprano Rachelle Pike rounded out the fine cast as Mary the stern supervisor of the spinning group.The VOA chorus performed strongly and superbly.
Production wise, things were less settled.Widzer used the stage space to good effect, primarily as a tall masted sailing ship with ropes suspended from scaffolding effectively serving as rigging.However, suspended ropes were also used in the spinning scene which found maidens anxious for the return of their men from sea caressing and stroking the strands in suggestively erotic style.It was tawdry, inappropriate and cheap.
Give a person enough rope to hang themselves, the saying goes.Well it’s true.For some reason, maybe known only to “Twilight” fans, Widzer had Senta stand on her bed and strangle herself rather than jump from a cliff (as the libretto indicates) or even the ship or anything but this.This is the opera’s love-death moment of poignancy wherein the two lovers are united in death and rise to heaven.So, with Senta dead on the bed, we found, upstage, the blood red sail of the ghost ship against which the Dutchman, in silhouette, seemed to rising up the rigging toward heaven with a female in silhouette that may have been Senta’s spirit but had zero physical resemblance.The moment’s majesty was destroyed, made more egregious by having Daland come out to mourn Senta.
Visually, Mark McCullough’s lighting was dramatic and added to the tale’s dark tone.Alas, costuming by Erik Teague added nothing to the two leads.There was no reason for having the Dutchman bare-chested bearing a silly tattoo.If it was an attempt at a nautical sexiness, it failed, adding nothing.As for Senta, the costuming given Pier was not flattering, notably the suicide outfit. Pier deserved better.
In the big picture, it’s more than great singing.Production aspects count and in this case aspects counted against what could have been a truly top notch, memorable for all the right reasons endeavor. It wasn’t.
