2024-2025 OPERA AND BALLET SEASON
Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) by Richard Wagner
Music pub: Fürstner
Performances 21, 22, 23, 28, 29 and 30 March
Concertmaster and Conductor ENRICO CALESSO
Director HENNING BROCKHAUS
Set designer HENNING BROCKHAUS and GIANCARLO COLIS
Costume designer GIANCARLO COLIS
Videomaker LUCA SCARZELLA
Choreography VALENTINA ESCOBAR
Choir master PAOLO LONGO
NEW PRODUCTION BY FONDAZIONE TEATRO LIRICO GIUSEPPE VERDI DI TRIESTE
Characters and performers
Der Holländer (The Dutchman)
JAMES RUTHERFORD (21, 23, 28, 30 March)
LARS FOSSER (22, 29 March)
Erik
CLAY HILLEY (21, 23, 28, 30 March)
ALEXANDER SCHULZ (22, 29 March)
ELENA BATOUKOVA-KERL (21, 23, 28, 30 March)
CLAIRE DE MONTEIL (22, 29 March)
Daland
ALBERT DOHMEN (21, 23, 28, 30 March)
ABRAMO ROSALEN (22, 29 March)
Der Steuermann Dalands (Daland’s steersman) ANDREA SCHIFAUDO
Mary SANJA ANASTASIA
ORCHESTRA, CHORUS AND TECHNICIANS BY FONDAZIONE TEATRO LIRICO GIUSEPPE VERDI DI TRIESTE
After an 18-year absence, Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer returns to the Teatro Verdi in Trieste in a striking new production by German director Henning Brockhaus, an esteemed protégé of Giorgio Strehler. The orchestra will be conducted by Enrico Calesso, acclaimed in German-speaking countries for his interpretations of Wagner. The international cast features some of the finest voices in the repertoire, while the Teatro Verdi chorus will be enriched by 12 additional singers from the Bayreuth Festival, thanks to a collaboration with the Richard-Wagner-Verband Würzburg-Unterfranken—the largest Wagnerian society in the world.
Following meticulous orchestral preparation during the symphonic season, the production brings one of the most iconic figures of Northern maritime lore back to its natural harbour: Trieste. A city by the sea, Trieste serves as the perfect setting for the cursed ship, whose ancient myth has influenced European Gothic literature and continues to inspire modern culture, from Bram Stoker’s Dracula to the Matrix cinematic saga. Visionary director Henning Brockhaus, a veteran of German opera staging with deep connections to Italy and Trieste through his mentor Giorgio Strehler, presents a dreamlike version of Der Fliegende Holländer. Focusing on the heroine Senta, it unfolds with an intensity that, as in dreams, proves more vivid and emotionally compelling than reality itself. Music Director Enrico Calesso, regarded in the German-speaking world as one of the most accomplished Wagnerian conductors and the driving force behind the collaboration between Teatro Verdi and the Richard-Wagner-Verband Würzburg-Unterfranken, will make his debut in this opera in Trieste. His career has earned him widespread acclaim in Germany, particularly for his Ring Cycle at the Mainfranken Theater in Würzburg, where he recently concluded a remarkable 14-year tenure with a highly praised performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2.
Calesso’s comment on Der Fliegende Holländer: “Der Fliegende Holländer, in many respects, belongs to Wagner’s early compositional phase, still bearing the influence of French Grand Opera, which the great German composer sought to assimilate and push to its extreme limits with Rienzi. At the same time, however, the Holländer score introduces significant innovations that paved the way for the dramatic and harmonic developments of his later works.”
The contribution of the Richard-Wagner-Verband Würzburg-Unterfranken, the largest of the 132 Wagner societies worldwide, is of paramount importance. Their exceptional collaboration with Teatro Verdi has made it possible to enrich the chorus with twelve male voices, all native German speakers with extensive expertise in Wagnerian repertoire, regularly performing at Bayreuth—a guarantee of superb choral interpretation.
The cast boasts an exceptional ensemble of specialists in Wagnerian and German repertoire, promising an unforgettable performance for those who appreciate Wagner’s libretti, both for their literary depth and musical richness. Among the highlights is Clay Hilley, a distinguished tenor taking on the role of Erik, joined by the solid Berlin-born Alexander Schulz. In the title role, James Rutherford, an acclaimed Holländer, alternates with the young Scandinavian talent Lars Fosser, a second-generation opera singer. As Senta, the renowned Russian soprano Elena Batoukova-Kerl, celebrated for her collaborations with Barenboim and Thielemann, shares the stage with rising star Claire de Monteil, who is set to perform alongside Anna Netrebko in France. The role of Daland is entrusted to the esteemed German bass-baritone Albert Dohmen, whose illustrious career has seen him work with legendary conductors such as Abbado, Solti, Mehta, Sinopoli, Chailly, Pappano, and Thielemann. Daland will also be performed by Abramo Rosalen, who will sing in Rigoletto at the Verona Arena this summer.
In keeping with Wagnerian tradition, all performances will be staged without an interval. The Victor de Sabata Lounge will therefore resume its activities with Lucia di Lammermoor and a newly curated spring tasting menu.
A Friday, 21 March 2025 – 8:00 PM
S Saturday, 22 March 2025 – 4:00 PM
D Sunday, 23 March 2025 – 4:00 PM
C Friday, 28 March 2025 – 8:00 PM
B Saturday, 29 March 2025 – 7:00 PM
E Sunday, 30 March 2025 – 4:00 PM