(Photo: Patrick Redmond)

Since its inception in 2018, Irish National Opera has made remarkable progress with a series of innovative and imaginative productions that have entertained audiences from both home and abroad, garnering praise from the national and international media for the variety and quality of its output. Now, in its seventh season, the company decided to stage four performances of “Der fliegende Holländer,” its first presentation of a work by Wagner.

Hewer Delivers a Clear Narrative in an Interesting Context

Reading the program notes by the stage director, Rachael Hewer, before the show, it was slightly surprising and refreshing to read that she intended to “trust the music, trust the characters and the story…from the first notes…right the way through to the final moments.” And this is exactly what she did, and it worked splendidly. There were one or two small tweaks along the way, but essentially what was presented was a traditional, easy-to-follow reading with well-defined characters set against a recognizable background of the sea, ships and port life. Moreover, it brilliantly brought out the eerie, supernatural dimensions of the work, conjuring up a ghostly presence that loomed heavily over the stage throughout the performance.

Her main intervention into the standard narrative was the introduction of Senta as a young girl, who appears during the overture and occasionally reappears throughout the evening. She sometimes engages with the other female characters, particularly with her older self and Mary, who read her a picture book about “The Flying Dutchman,” thereby adding a psychological driver for Senta’s obsession, which culminates with her throwing herself into the waves to redeem the Dutchman. It was not presented in a heavy-handed fashion and did not interfere with the thrust of the narrative but merely as an aid in explaining Senta’s behavior.

Another minor alteration introduced into the drama was Hewer’s decision to move the women from spinning in Daland’s house to having them working in a fish processing factory, thereby keeping the focus of the drama on the sea, which also sat nicely with what one would expect in a port. Even the words relating to the act of spinning fit well with the factory’s machinery.

Francis O’Connor’s set designs initially appeared to be fairly basic, consisting of a mast and a small cabin housing the wheel, which successfully suggested the deck of Daland’s ship. However, that soon changed in spectacular fashion with the arrival of the Dutchman’s black ship, which rose from the back of the stage, dripping with water, bathed in a red light, brilliantly capturing its otherworldly presence.

Other scenes were equally successful in maintaining the heavy, supernatural and unearthly atmosphere that dominated the performance. A dark-colored lighthouse, from which Senta eventually threw herself into the waves, stood menacingly in the corner of the stage, as if waiting for the inevitable to occur. Howard Hudson’s lighting rarely allowed the eerie gloom to lift; even during lighter moments, the background lighting was always subdued. Neil O’Driscoll’s projection designs of dark seascapes that filled the back of the stage were perfectly realized to increase the atmospheric tensions with images of raging seas and dark skies lit by occasional flashes of lightning, in which the face of the Dutchman appeared. Even in the fish processing plant, his moody image, set against the turbulence of the sea, looked down on the women who were teasing Senta about her obsession.

The costumes, also designed by O’Connor, were largely as expected. The seamen, the Dutchman and Daland were attired in traditional seafaring clothes; the women in the fish factory wore white overalls, while Senta and Mary were dressed in mid-20th century designs, and Erik was amusingly costumed as a butcher, complete with a blue and white striped apron.

The choreographer, Stephanie Dufrense, handled the crowd scenes exceptionally well by adding a dash of light-heartedness in the sailors’ dance in Act three, which temporarily broke the tensions before allowing them to wind up again for the dramatic finale.

It all added up to a strong staging that conveyed the force and dramatic power of the drama, in which the relationship between reality and the supernatural was in competition. Was it an otherworldly tale or simply a presentation of Senta’s obsession and delusions? Hewer kept the door open, leaving the audience free to decide for itself. It could easily be interpreted as a story seen through the eyes and imagination of Senta as a child, with herself positioned in the starring role; the projections certainly had a comic book quality to them, which suggested that this might be the case. Or was the young Senta there simply to provide an explanation for her obsession for the Dutchman, that may or may not be set in reality? In a further twist, during the finale, the young Senta was pulled alive from the waves. Was this a metaphor for Senta’s own redemption that allowed her to escape from her obsession, or was it further evidence of the storybook interpretation in which the young Senta emerges from the narrative unharmed?

Strong Orchestral Performance

The musical side of the production was in the hands of the conductor Fergus Sheil, who successfully captured the depth and delicacy of the score’s rich textures in a gripping performance from the Irish National Opera Orchestra. The sound was clearly defined and rhythmically strong, and the musical momentum was expertly handled to successfully reflect the changing atmosphere, shifting perfectly between capturing the turbulence and unpredictability of the sea, the heavy gloom that hung over the work and the interactions between the characters.

There was a mysterious air that cloaked baritone Jordan Shanahan’s portrayal of the Dutchman that set him apart from the other characters; only when he was with Senta did he reveal a more human side. His vocal characterization was equally intriguing, capturing both his strong presence and the swirling depths of his emotions. His voice possessed an expressivity, lyricism and flexibility that was able to draw in the listener. There was also a consistency and strength to the voice that enabled him to dominate the role without exhibiting any sign of stress, and that allowed him to climb above the orchestra with ease. He also displayed a keen sensitivity to the text and music, which was beautifully exemplified by his finely crafted phrasing.

Soprano Giselle Allen as Senta, convincingly captured her obsession with the Dutchman while simultaneously presenting her as homely with a comfortable relationship with her father. Her interpretation was subtly developed; her exchanges with Erik, for example, were nicely layered to reveal her sometimes sympathetic feelings towards him, even if she was unable to commit to him. The role is certainly a demanding one, and Allen tackled the part well, pacing herself carefully to ensure that she finished the final act in good vocal condition. There was an impressive consistency to her singing: her voice was secure and resonant and possessed an impressive degree of flexibility and control, which she used intelligently to develop the character. Duets with the Dutchman and with Erik formed some of the evening’s high points, in which their voices combined brilliantly to create emotionally powerful scenes, while the musical climaxes allowed her to show off her vocal strength as her voice sailed easily above the orchestra without loss of quality. If there was one negative criticism of her singing, it would be that her vibrato was a little too wide for some tastes.

Tenor Toby Spence proved to be an emotionally weak Erik, unable to cope with Senta’s obsession for the Dutchman; an impression exacerbated by having him wearing his butcher’s apron. His vocal presentation was exceptionally well crafted to capture the meaning of the text, which he delivered clearly and with emotional force, using his secure, flexible voice that moved easily over the range. In the duet “Bleib Senta,” he captured Erik’s insecurity perfectly as he accented the vocal line to emphasize his pain in the face of Senta’s unsympathetic responses.

Bass James Creswell produced a convincingly believable portrait of Daland by presenting him as a superficial character with a comic edge, in which his transformation from a practical seafarer with a deep love for his daughter into a wide-eyed man, blinded by the Dutchman’s offer of a vast fortune in return for his daughter’s hand, left him untroubled by the obvious conflict. Creswell possesses a well-supported bass with an attractive, colorful timbre and clear articulation, which he used successfully to capture his emotional simplicity and straightforward character.

Tenor Gavan Ring seemed to really enjoy himself with a fully committed performance as the Steersman, as he climbed up and down the mast at every opportunity, encouraging the crew in their amusing dance and rousing choruses, and always seemed to be on hand no matter what was going on. It was a role that also enabled him to show off the natural lyricism of his voice with its attractive tone and appealing middle register in what was a lively, engaging reading.

Mezzo-soprano Carolyn Dobbin can be relied upon to fill out to the full any character she plays, and her interpretation of Mary was no different. She produced a colorful, vibrant performance, tinged with the occasional splash of comedy.

Both the male and female sections of the Irish National Opera Chorus were in splendid voice, which they augmented with energetic, well-presented acting performances.

It all added up to another excellent production from Irish National Opera, further cementing its reputation as a company that consistently delivers high-quality productions.