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Sailors are often said to have a girl in every port, but The Flying Dutchman tells of a sea captain who would be happy to find one girl waiting for him at any port. Opera San José closes its season with Richard Wagner's dramatic first masterpiece, which opens April 9 at the California Theatre.
Centuries ago, a sea captain's hubris brought a curse upon himself and his crew, dooming them to sail the seas forever, unless the captain, known as the Dutchman, can find a woman to love him faithfully until death. That's no easy task, since the cursed ship may come into port just once every seven years.
During such a rare shore leave, the Dutchman meets another seafarer who has a daughter, Senta, whom he'll marry off for a tidy sum. Serendipitously, the Dutchman's sad legend has already captured Senta's romantic fancy, much to the despair of the landlubber she once pledged to love.
In the spooky sailors' yarns that inspired Wagner, those who caught sight of the Dutchman's ship met with misfortune and thus, encounters with it were dreaded. But the composer, just coming into his own as he wrote this dark romance, seems to have reversed that curse for good, with The Flying Dutchman winning the enduring love of audiences for more than 150 years.
Opera San José presents The Flying Dutchman April 924 at the California Theatre, 345 S. First St., San Jose. Tickets are $68$88 opening night/$60-$80 regular performances. 408.437.4455 or www.operasj.org.
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