Wagner premiere in Burgenland: The flying Dutchman is enthusiastic!

Wagner premiere in Burgenland: The flying Dutchman is enthusiastic!

St. Margarethen, Österreich - On July 10, 2025, Richard Wagner's opera “The Flying Dutch” celebrated its premiere in the St. Margarethen Römersteinbruch. This staging is particularly remarkable because it was the first performance of Wagner's work in this unique backdrop. Directed by Philipp M. Krenn, while the stage design of Momme Hinrichs was designed. Musically, Patrick Lange led the orchestra.

The performance of the romantic classic captivates with its impressive stage design, which shows a Nordic fishing settlement with a lighthouse and the house of the protagonist Senta in the middle. Senta dreams of a cursed seafarer, the flying Dutchman, is sentenced to eternal life. His freedom can only be achieved through the love of a loyal woman, which expresses the tragic but moving act of the opera.

stage and light design

Elisabeth Teige, who appears as Senta, was able to convince the audience with their strong vocal performance. George Gagnidze, who embodies the role of the Dutchman, also showed great skills, but had to struggle with vocal difficulties towards the end of the performance. Liani Li as Daland impressed the audience with his clear choice of words and content.

performance details and musical implementation

The staging uses an early version of the work and is designed for a playing time of less than two and a half hours, including micropauses, in order to facilitate access to the complex action. Wagner's ability to musically implement the blinds of the sea and the horrors of a ghost ship is demonstrated in this production in an impressive way, which is not least underlining the distinctive character of this opera.

Further performances are planned from July 10th to 12th, 17th to 19th, 23rd to 26th, July 31 to August 2 to August 9, 14 to August 16 to 23, 2025.

Richard Wagner: A master of the opera

Richard Wagner (1813–1883) was not only a composer, but a visionary revolutionary of the opera world. His works are considered milestones in music history and are characterized by emotional intensity and complex harmonies. Each piece is penetrated by profound philosophical and mythological topics. "The flying Dutchman", composed in 1843, deals with the topic of salvation through love and illustrates the inner tornness of the curse that binds the Dutchman.

The emotional and tonal dimensions in Wagner's music make his operas an imperishable treasure of the repertoire. Wagner is known to have revolutionized the opera as an art form and has set new standards with its unique compositions such as "Tannhäuser" and "Tristan and Isolde".