Iain Paterson's Dutchman drops anchor in Frankfurt

By John Johnston, 22 May 2017

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“the flames spluttered and fizzled fitfully during the abrupt final bars”

Reviewed at Oper Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main on 20 May 2017

Wagner, Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman)

Oper Frankfurt

Sebastian Weigle, Conductor

David Bösch, Director

Patrick Bannwart, Set Designer

Meentje Nielsen, Costume Designer

Iain Paterson, Dutchman

Erika Sunnegårdh, Senta

Elisabeth Teige, Senta

Andreas Bauer Kanabas, Daland

AJ Glueckert, Erik

Vincent Wolfsteiner, Erik

Maria Pantiukhova, Mary

Michael Porter, The Steersman

Olaf Winter, Lighting Designer

Zsolt Horpácsy, Dramaturgy

Tilman Michael, Choirmaster / chorus director

Frankfurt Opera Chorus

Extrachor der Oper Frankfurt

Opera Frankfurt Orchestra

It's party time onstage: Carl Nielsen's Maskarade at Oper Frankfurt

Kevin W Ng, 20th November

Carl Nielsen's Maskarade makes a welcome rare appearance, with a great time had by everyone onstage and off.

***11

Christof Loy’s Lonely Hearts Club at Oper Frankfurt

Mark Pullinger, 26th March

This is no Liederabend with singers taking their turn to file up to the piano. It’s a fully staged drama in which baritone Vladislav Sulimsky’s character reflects on his past loves and losses.

*****

Indomitable: Billy Budd in Frankfurt

Matthew Rye, 25th May

Oper Frankfurt's revival of Richard Jones's production of Billy Budd with a homegrown cast is a devastating combination of powerful music and searing drama.

*****

Words or music? Collaboration or resistance? A new Capriccio in Frankfurt

John Johnston, 24th January

Camilla Nylund’s rich, ample voice bloomed in the glorious setting of the sonnet, cosseted by burnished horn playing, in Strauss' unsurpassed operatic farewell to the soprano voice.

****1

A dark and stunning new Rigoletto

Ako Imamura, 28th April

Oper Frankfurt's new production of Rigoletto focuses on the dark side of the tragedy with excellent singing from the two principals.

****1

Perfect Pelléas: Debussy's opera seduces in Frankfurt

Matthew Rye, 1st April

Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande is beautifully realised in Claus Guth's now classic production, revived with a new cast of principals at Oper Frankfurt.

*****

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John Johnston

John Johnston was a contributor to Bachtrack 2017-19. John was a true gentleman and lifelong opera "nut" who frequently travelled across Europe to catch performances, making regular pilgrimages to the Bayreuth Festival among others. His supreme knowledge and appreciation of voices meant he took to reviewing like the proverbial duck to water. We enjoyed his style and his insatiable appetite for catching rare operas and new productions wherever he could.