Richard Wagner’s ghostly sea opera Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) docks in Shanghai with the full force of the Bayerische Staatsoper behind it. This is the opera that first put Wagner on the map—and it still hits hard, especially with Vladimir Jurowski conducting and Christopher Maltman as the doomed Dutchman. Dark romance, cursed sailors, and one of opera’s most famous overtures—this is the good kind of drama.

It’s sung in German with Chinese surtitles and performed without intermission, so settle in for a full-throttle 150 minutes of stormy passion and redemption. Senta is sung by Sinéad Campbell-Wallace, and Chinese bass Liang Li plays Daland. Expect classic staging with sharp emotional edges—very Wagner, very epic.

Der fliegende Holländer is Richard Wagner's fourth opera and the first of his works to be performed at the prestigious Bayreuth Festival. Composed in 1841 in Paris, Wagner drew inspiration from Heinrich Heine’s retelling of the Flying Dutchman myth and his own stormy sea voyage while fleeing creditors. That real-life brush with the ocean's fury shaped the opera’s storm-tossed setting and the Dutchman’s cursed fate.

The opera premiered in Dresden in 1843 and was later revised by Wagner in 1860—the version performed today. This production by the Bayerische Staatsoper is conducted by Vladimir Jurowski and features Sinéad Campbell-Wallace as Senta, Christopher Maltman as the Dutchman, and Liang Li as Daland. Expect intense visuals, powerful vocals, and no intermission.

Program

Romantic opera in three acts by Richard Wagner (1843 version)

* All information on programme and duration is subject to change.