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The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

Der Fliegende Holländer, by Richard Wagner

A scene from Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer.

May 30 – June 10, 2023
30 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023, USA

François Girard’s new production of the earliest of Richard Wagner’s mature (“canonical”) operas opened just in time for the pandemic to shut it down after a mere three performances. Time for another look with an all-new cast. Tomasz Konieczny—one of those useful bass-baritones who can flip-flop between the “Ring” cycle’s high-toned Wotan and the snarling Alberich—portrays the accursed Dutchman, sailing the seven seas in search of salvation. Elza van den Heever is Senta, the young woman with the Messiah complex who means to rescue him. Eric Cutler is Erik, the hapless young hunter Senta blows off. With war raging in Ukraine, Valery Gergiev, who conducted the 2019 premiere, has become unavailable outside Putin’s sphere of influence. His replacement for the revival is Thomas Guggeis, a young German of whose work in Berlin the grapevine has been buzzing. —Matthew Gurewitsch

Photo courtesy of Ken Howard and Met Opera