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“It was a dark and stormy night”: Seattle Opera's intensely riveting Flying Dutchman explodes the cliches

By Thomas May, 08 May 2016
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“Alden's staging had made it clear that it's not just the Dutchman who is spooky”
Reviewed at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, Seattle on 7 May 2016
Programme
Wagner, Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman)
Performers
Seattle Opera
Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Conductor
Christopher Alden, Director
Allen Moyer, Set Designer, Costume Designer
Greer Grimsley, Dutchman
Rebecca Nash, Senta
Nikolai Schukoff, Erik
Daniel Sumegi, Daland
Luretta Bybee, Mary
Colin Ainsworth, The Steersman
Anne Militello, Lighting Designer
More Opera reviews
Sasha Cooke brings sharp intelligence to Seattle Opera’s Carmen
Thomas May, 8th May
Sasha Cooke’s thoughtful role debut anchors Paul Curran’s visually and musically alert but dramatically uneven production.
****1
A rite of spring turned inward: Strauss’ Daphne at Seattle Opera
Thomas May, 16th January

Presented without staging, Seattle Opera’s concert Daphne places Strauss’ extreme vocal demands and saturated orchestral writing in sharp relief, offering a high-risk encounter with a rarely heard late opera.

****1
Mozart meets Vaudeville in Seattle's silent movie Magic Flute
Erica Miner, 22nd February
Eye-popping, hand-drawn animation melds with Mozart's fantastical world and the silent film era to create a colorful and energetic new-to-Seattle production.  
***11
African American spirituals ring out in world premiere of Jubilee
Erica Miner, 12th October
A world premiere opera about the Fisk Jubilee Singers, the intrepid troupe of African American singers who changed music history. 
*****
Alcina in Seattle: captivating, flirtatious, sometimes weird
Rosie Rogers, 25th October
Thoughtful cuts, an extremely skillful orchestra and active, inventive staging made this sexy dark comedy engrossing and highly watchable. 
*****
Frederick Ballentine’s Loge shines in Das Rheingold
Rosie Rogers, 12th August
Despite some confused visual elements, an excellent musical performance makes Seattle Opera's production well worth watching.
****1
More reviews...
Read reviews of
Alfred WalkerAllen MoyerChristopher AldenColin AinsworthDaniel SumegiDavid DanholtDer fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman)Greer GrimsleyLuretta BybeeNikolai SchukoffRebecca NashRichard WagnerSeattle OperaSebastian Lang-LessingWendy Bryn Harmer
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A rite of spring turned inward: Strauss’ Daphne at Seattle Opera
Thomas May
Thomas May
Thomas May is a writer and translator based in Seattle. His books include Decoding Wagner and The John Adams Reader, and he blogs about the arts at memeteria.com. He has written for The Washington Post, Gramophone, Listen, Symphony magazine, OPERA America, crosscut.com, and many other publications.