On Friday 16th April ay 8.30pm (session A), at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, the X Festival di Sant’Efisio and the 2010 Opera and Ballet Season will be opened by the Flying Dutchman (Der fliegende Holländer), romantic opera in three acts with libretto, taken from the novel Aus den Memoiren des Herren von Schnabelewopski by Heinrich Heine, and music by Richard Wagner, in a staging by the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, from a production by the Opéra National de Bordeaux.

The opera is performed in German, with Italian surtitles, by a prestigious cast of singers specialized in this repertoire:
Daland Gudjun Oskarsson/Stephen Klemm (21, 24, 26)
Senta Adrienne Dugger/Kirsten Blanck (18, 21)
L’Olandese Giorgio Surian/Jürgen Linn (21, 24, 26)
Erik Thomas Piffka/Erin Caves (20, 22, 24)
Mary Julia Oesch/Katja Boost (24, 26)
Il timoniere Gianluca Floris

This staging in produced by Francesca Zambello of American birth, but Italian origin. Zambello is a pupil of the well known Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, from whom she learnt the dictates of the great European producing tradition; she is assisted by Stephen Taylor, as director. Alison Chitty is responsible for set design and costumes, Rick Fisher for the lighting design and Philippe Almeras for the revival.

The Slovenian conductor, Marko Letonja, applauded last year in Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci, conducts the Teatro Lirico Orchestra and Chorus. Fulvio Fogliazza is chorus master.

The Flying Dutchman was first staged at the Königlich Sächsisches Hoftheater in Dresden on 2nd January 1843, and is considered the origins of theatrical and musical beauty and also initiated a new phase of maturity in Wagner’s operatic style, despite being the fourth, following ‘Die Feen’, ‘Das Liebesverbot’ and ‘Rienzi’ by the brilliant German musician, Richard Wagner (Lipsia, 1813 – Venice, 1883). The legend-like, mythical theme, but above all the opera’s poetical theme of redemption, represents the fundamental novelty to which the composer returned several times over the following years in an attempt to reduce the orchestration that he himself considered too overpowering. The final version, dated 1860, is the one that is usually performed and this is the version that will be staged at the Teatro Lirico.


The Flying Dutchman will be performed on:
- Friday 16th April at 20.30 (session A)
- Sunday 18th April at 5pm (session D)
- Tuesday 20th April at 8.30pm (session B) (broadcast live on Rai Radio Tre)
- Wednesday 21st April at 8.30pm (session F)
- Thursday 22nd April at 8.30pm (session C)
- Saturday 24th April at 7pm (session E)
- Monday 26th April at 8.30pm (session G).