Wagner - The Flying Dutchman (Der Fliegende Hollander) / Backman, Behrens, Grundheber, Savonlinna Opera Festival
Vocally, it would be hard to find a betterFlying Dutchman. Hildegard  Behrens, Matti Salminen, and (most important in this 1988 production's title role)  Franz Grundheber were among the finest Wagnerian singers of the late 20th century, and all were in top vocal form on this occasion. They have an excellent supporting  cast, and a chorus that sings with musical vitality and acts with theatrical vividness  under Illka Backman's expert direction. And Leif Segerstam's conducting is superb,  keeping the performance unified and propelling it forward with dramatic urgency.Wagner's drama of a sea captain, cursed to wander the ocean forever until he can   be redeemed by the love and self-sacrifice of a good woman, is a relatively early work, still in touch with traditional operatic procedures and accessible to people who are  not hard-core Wagnerians. In this production, it comes across with strong impact.The performance is staged outdoors in the courtyard of a 500-year-old Finnish  castle, which contributes to its atmosphere but sometimes makes the lighting  less than ideal. Lacking the scenic effects of a staged, indoor production, the  video uses rather generic projections quite frequently, including the climactic  last scene when the Dutchman's ship goes down. The sound is good but not outstanding  by 21st-cenury standards, and (as happens in live recordings)  there are a few glitches in the orchestra and lapses in  sound-picture synchronization. These are minor considering the disc's positive values,  but must be mentioned. In sum, not a perfectDutchmanbut, musically and dramatically, a very satisfactory one.--Joe McLellan