Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Der fliegende Holländer, Opera in 3 Acts
Dutchman, Gerald Finley (bass-baritone)
Senta: Lise Davidsen (soprano)
Daland: Brindley Sherratt (bass)
Erik: Stanislas de Barbeyrac (tenor)
Mary, Anna Kissjudit (contralto)
Steersman, Eirik Grøtvedt (tenor)
Chorus and Orchestra of Norwegian National Opera/Edward Gardner
rec. live, 2024, Oslo Opera House, Norway
German libretto with English translation
Decca 4870952 [2 CDs: 131]

In my survey of this opera in 2019 I chose as my favourites versions from the 50s to the 70s, the latest being Solti’s studio recording made as long as ago as 1976 – so maybe half a century on we are due for a new, modern recommendation?

Certainly, on perusing cast before I listened to this new Decca release, I thought it looked mostly promising: Lise Davidsen is the dramatic soprano du jour worldwide and although Gerald Finley is now in his mid-sixties, he has preserved his voice wonderfully, and I have been impressed by hearing both singers perform Wagner live. Brindley Sherratt, also a now veteran in his sixties, is one of the best British basses on the circuit, too. I was however, much less enthused by the prospect of French tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac as Erik, as I have previously found his constricted sound unappealing. Nor, I must admit, have I been much of a fan of Edward Gardner’s conducting and I wondered whether the orchestra of the Norwegian National Opera would have the heft, richness and depth to do justice to Wagner’s dense and noisy scoring.

All of which is just preamble, as I always conscientiously try to set aside any preconceptions and prejudices before I listen to a new recording – not least because I have been surprised or indeed just plain wrong before.

This is a live composite recording, being the product of two live concert performances, handsomely but economically presented in a slim, blue, cardboard, folding slipcase containing a booklet with a full German text and English translation – hoorah.

There is no audience noise and superb sound is immediately apparent – ringing horns, pleasantly nasal woodwind, plenty of bass resonance and nice, prominent drums all set the nautical scene vividly. Gardner’s pacing is excellent and there is no lack of weight in the orchestral sound. The male chorus is suitably lusty; their chorus concluding the first act is splendid. Sherratt doesn’t have the inky tone of forebears such as Frick, Tozzi or Talvela and his vibrato has audibly loosened of late as has some of the integrity of his tone, but it still has some bite and he makes a bluff, breezy, characterful Daland. I like the clear timbre and fast vibrato of Eirik Grøtvedt’s tenor as the Steersman; he is light, boyish and wholly credible.

Enter the gloomy Dutchman and Gardner gives his introductory music considerable tension and menace. Finley’s bass-baritone is as steady and beautiful as ever – there is simply no wear in his vocal production – and his German diction is pellucid, but his tone is fundamentally rather light. His vocal longevity is surely due to his always having “sung on the interest rather than the capital” of his voice; his phrasing is always intelligent and sensitive – but he is no George London, Hermann Uhde or Franz Crass, whose voices had greater stature. Having said that, he can inject a considerable frisson into his declamation of passages such that which ends that opening monologue, beginning “Wann alle Toten auferstehn”. Ultimately, however, he is a rather over-refined Dutchman – yet that contrasts neatly with the more boorish, venal Daland and their duets go nicely.

We must wait until well int Act Two to hear Davidsen’s Senta, but before then the ladies of the chorus sing a spirited “Summ und brumm” and we are introduced to Anna Kissjudit’s dark, fruity contralto – and the surprise is how similar is Davidsen’s voluminous soprano, almost equally as pitchy and certainly louder. At times, there is certainly an element of Birgit Nilsson’s sound about its hooty, penetrative quality; “Johohohoe!” is impressively intense and rounded. My only concern – and one I have voiced before regarding her solo recital albums – is that her lower register needs to be more trenchant and defined; she takes her upper register down beneath the point where I think she should be employing her “chest voice”  and in truth sometimes her diction could be crisper, her sound is so occluded, but the climax of her first aria is impressive and in her subsequent exchange with Erik the voice swells and blooms at climactic points such as “Kennst jenes Unglücksel’gen Schicksal du?” (Do you know the fate of that unhappy man? – and looking at my colleague PH’s review after writing this, I note that unbeknownst to me, he chose exactly the same highpoint to illustrate her power as an interpreter).

I freely admit that on tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac’s entrance, I find him to be in better voice than I have previously heard; he seems to have much improved his technique, freeing and opening up his tone of late even if higher notes are still a bit squeezed. His role is an ungrateful one and very few tenors have managed to make much of it but he sings feelingly and summons up an aptly “baritonal” timbre which occasionally recalls René Kollo.

The duet between Senta and the Dutchman concluding Act Two is crucial and there is an interesting contrast between Finley’s and Davidsen’s manner. The former sings almost in a Lieder-like manner, often softly and beautifully, using a gentle mezza voce and head voice; the latter is more overtly “operatic” and as such there is somewhat of an imbalance whereby Finley is…not exactly dwarfed but decidedly pushed into the background.

I have heard more overwhelmingly boisterous, riotous renderings of the big chorus which opens the third act – not least from Solti, unsurprisingly; this one is a bit tame and domesticated, if still rollicking good fun – until the ghostly intervention of the roused crew on the Dutchman’s vessel, which is much more effective, with telling sound separation creating a powerful aural impression of the two opposing camps. At the climax of the opera as the three main characters are brought to a crisis point, Finley gives his considerable all for “ew’ge Verdammnis” (eternal damnation) and Davidsen really lets rip for the two top Bs, both on the “Treu” in “durch deren Treu” (by whose true love) and “Hier steh’ ich, treu dir bis zum Tod!” (Here I stand, true to you until death) – it’s all mightily impressive and Gardner manages the golden apotheosis skilfully.

In truth, Davidsen’s Senta somewhat overshadows and even overpowers the three other principal singers here, so large and radiant is her voice. Many will think it worthwhile acquiring this set for her alone, although the contributions of Gardner, Finley, de Barbeyrac and Sherratt are far from negligible.

Ralph Moore

Previous review: Philip Harrison (April 2025)

Buying this recording via a link below generates revenue for MWI, which helps the site remain free