Jaap van Zweden & Der fliegende Holländer

Wagner's opera career gains momentum

In 1843 Wagner was at the beginning of his career. Two now forgotten youth operas and a grand opera had not brought him the success he expected. That did happen with Der fliegende Holländer . The composer was inspired by a satirical novella by Heinrich Heine, which was performed during a stage performance in Amsterdam. It features a doomed Dutch sea captain who can be redeemed by the love of a woman.

Creepy about a ghost ship

To have his opera performed in Paris, Wagner first composed the central aria, Senta's famous ballad. The descending quarter interval, which always sounds at the beginning of her phrases, immediately creates the special atmosphere of this cry from the heart. The French capital rejected him anyway, but in Dresden people understood this new, thoroughly composed opera better. The orchestra echoes the natural violence of the sea storms. The scenes in which the ghost ship of the mysterious Holländer approaches sent shivers down the audience's spine. The path to musical drama was now open for Wagner.