NorthernTigress
Last Week my husband and I got tickets to see the opera, a production of Wagner's _The_Flying_Dutchman_. The general storyline is that the Dutchman is a ship's captain who was cursed to sail the seas until Judgement Day. However, an angel took pity on him and gave him one release: once every seven years he is allowed to come to shore and search for a woman who will love him truly and faithfully.
The other players in the tale are a greedy sea captain convinced by the Dutchman to give away his daughter in return for treasure; Senta, the daughter, who has fallen in love with the idea of the Dutchman's legend; Erik, Senta's lover, who believes that he must 'save' her from the phantom Dutchman.
The story was very grand and operatic, revolving around the theme of Fate, and escaping one's Fate. Which is what made the set designer's choice to put a giant wheel in the center of the stage so fascinating for me. Literally, the wheel was supposed to represent the ship's wheel, as well as the spinning wheel of the textile factory where Senta works. But the first thing I thought of when I saw it was "Wheel of Fortune". The Dutchman is caught on Fortune's Wheel, going round and round forever, searching for an escape. In fact, the Dutchman makes one of his most dramatic arias while standing at the hub of the wheel. And when Senta sacrifices herself, declaring her love for the Dutchman "unto death" and thus saving his soul, her body is draped across the rim of the wheel, in an image that reminded me of the RWS Wheel.
I'm convinced that this could not be accidental. But who created this combination of theme and imagery? Wagner, the original author? The director? The set designer? I'm curious...
The other players in the tale are a greedy sea captain convinced by the Dutchman to give away his daughter in return for treasure; Senta, the daughter, who has fallen in love with the idea of the Dutchman's legend; Erik, Senta's lover, who believes that he must 'save' her from the phantom Dutchman.
The story was very grand and operatic, revolving around the theme of Fate, and escaping one's Fate. Which is what made the set designer's choice to put a giant wheel in the center of the stage so fascinating for me. Literally, the wheel was supposed to represent the ship's wheel, as well as the spinning wheel of the textile factory where Senta works. But the first thing I thought of when I saw it was "Wheel of Fortune". The Dutchman is caught on Fortune's Wheel, going round and round forever, searching for an escape. In fact, the Dutchman makes one of his most dramatic arias while standing at the hub of the wheel. And when Senta sacrifices herself, declaring her love for the Dutchman "unto death" and thus saving his soul, her body is draped across the rim of the wheel, in an image that reminded me of the RWS Wheel.
I'm convinced that this could not be accidental. But who created this combination of theme and imagery? Wagner, the original author? The director? The set designer? I'm curious...