Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Der fliegende Holländer, Opera in 3 Acts
(version compiling revisions from 1842 to 1880)
Dutchman: Brian Mulligan (bass-baritone)
Senta: Jennifer Holloway (soprano)
Erik: Bryan Register (tenor)
Daland: Ain Anger (bass)
Steersman: Richard Tray Smagur (tenor)
Mary: Maya Yahav Gour (mezzo-soprano)
Netherlands Radio Choir & Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra/Jaap van Zweden
rec. live, 2024, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall
Synopsis included; libretto available online
Naxos 8.660572-73 [2 CDs: 132]

Hard on the heels of Decca’s live recording starring Lise Davidsen and Gerlad Finley, comes another live recording of The Flying Dutchman from Naxos. Its duration is identical and if it is not quite as starrily cast, it nonetheless features some major singers – predominately American and American-based and trained with the exception of Estonian bass Ain Anger – conducted by Jaap van Zweden, who has been Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic since 2012.

Things start very promisingly with very well played overture, highly energised in the strenuous storm passages and lyrical in the yearning love music. The sound, too, is immediately very pleasing: vivid, open and spacious. The male chorus makes a splendid impression with its repeated cries of “Hallojo!”. Then comes the first disappointment: the pulse – indeed wobble – in Ain Anger’s bass is distracting and as such his singing gives little pleasure. The tenor of Steersman, Richard Tray Smagur, is strong but not entirely guiltless of the same flaw and indeed his voice evinces some strain; he hardly measures up to more nuanced, flexible singers from classic recordings such as Josef Traxel, Ernst Haeflinger, Werner Krenn and, of course, Fritz Wunderlich, who all manage to sound dreamy and lyrical – and sometimes even aptly tired, too, as he is meant to be dropping off on watch.

I am unsure what to make of Brian Mulligan’s Dutchman. His lighter bass-baritone is more in the mould of the recent Gerald Finley and Josef Metternich back in 1952 for Ferenc Fricsay, without the massive heft and dark resonance of my favourite Dutchmen, George London, Hermann Uhde, Franz Crass and Norman Bailey. He is certainly involved and impassioned but it must also be said that the upper half of his voice turns oddly nasal and biting at volume, evincing a glottal catch – almost a bleat – which sounds anguished but isn’t actually a very attractive sound. He in no sense eclipses Hans Hotter and co., any more than Anger is preferable to Gottlob Frick, Karl Ridderbusch or Martti Talvela.

Maya Yahav Gouris a pleasantly fruity, “big-sisterly” (word? Apparently the female equivalent of “avuncular” I need is “materteral”…perhaps not…) Mary – but the entrance of Senta brings another disappointment: she, too, is very matronly with – you’ve guessed it – an over-pronounced vibrato and a distressing tendency to sing consistently just under the note – or perhaps that is a function of that pulse pulling the centre of tone down. The intonation of her topmost notes is more secure, although I cannot but compare her unfavourably with Lise Davidsen’s laser production – or going back in time, Astrid Varnay whose dramatic soprano, while not flawless, falls more gratefully on the ear.

That leaves Eric – surely one of the most unrewarding of major tenor roles in Wagner – or indeed in opera, pace Richard Strauss’ victimisation of his tenors. Bryan Register battles manfully, deploying an tenor of no special tonal distinction, again prone to strain and aspiration and one besetting fault…and I’ll give you one guess what that is…

I have no criticism of van Zweden’s conducting other than to observe than it is more unobtrusive and non-interventionist than I might have expected from a man with a reputation for being a firebrand.

Unfortunately, very little about this live recording makes it desirable. My advice is to stick with one of the classic recordings recommended in my survey or, if you want a modern, up-to-the-moment version, go with the recent Decca issue, generally favourably received on this website by my colleague PH (review) and me (review).

Ralph Moore

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