Der Fliegende Holländer Is François Girard's Third Met Opera Staging

Summary: The 2022-2023 season's new production of Wagner's Der Fliegende Holländer is François Girard's third Met Opera staging and also his third Wagner opera.

French Canadian director François Girard's Met Opera portfolio exclusively comprises Wagnerian operas, with a lineup of Parsifal for his Met Opera debut in the 2012-2013 season, Der Fliegende Holländer in 2019-2020 and Lohengrin in 2022-2023; German dramatic soprano Evelyn Herlitizus as Kundry, with French Canadian director François Girard, during 2017-2018 season rehearsals for the first revival of Girard's 2012-2013 season-debuting new production of Wagner's Parsifal: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook Jan. 24, 2018

The 2022-2023 season's new production of Wagner's Der Fliegende Holländer numbers as François Girard's third Met Opera staging and also adds a third Wagner opera to the French Canadian director's Met Opera portfolio.

The Metropolitan Opera's 2022-2023 season roster featured two productions by French Canadian director and screenwriter François Girard (born Jan. 12, 1963). Both productions are stagings of operas by 19th-century German composer and librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

Girard's new production of Lohengrin opened Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, as his third Met Opera production and as the third of the three Wagnerian operas in his Met Opera portfolio. Girard's production of Lohengrin received 10 performances in its debut season. The second through 10th, closing performances took place Thursday, March 2; Sunday, March 5; Friday, March 10; Tuesday, March 14; Saturday, March 18 (Saturday matinee radio broadcast; Tuesday, March 21; Saturday, March 25; Tuesday, March 28; and Saturday, April 1.

Der Fliegende Holländer opened Tuesday, May 30, 2023, as the first revival of Girard's second Met Opera production. The first revival's second through fourth, closing performances were given Saturday, June 3; Wednesday, June 7; and Saturday, June 10 (Saturday matinee radio broadcast).

Der Fliegende Holländer had opened Monday, March 2, 2020, as Girard's second Met Opera production and had added a second Wagnerian opera to his exclusively Wagnerian Met Opera portfolio. The new production originally had been scheduled for eight performances in the 2019-2020 season. The second and third performances occurred Friday, March 6, and Tuesday, March 10. The fourth through eighth, closing performances were scheduled for Saturday, March 14 (Saturday matinee radio broadcast); Wednesday, March 18; Saturday, March 21; Tuesday, March 24; and Friday, March 27.

The new production's last five performances, however, were canceled by Met Opera's announcement via Facebook Thursday, March 12. The Facebook post canceled all performances through Tuesday, March 31, and linked to the opera company's website message of cancelation of "the entirety of the 2020–21 season."

South African soprano Elza van den Heever as Senta, redeemer of the wandering Dutchman, in François Girard's production of Wagner's Der Fliegende Holländer; sets by John Macfarlane, costumes by Moritz Junge, lighting by David Finn, projection by Peter Flaherty, choreography by Carolyn Choa, dramaturgy by Serge Lamothe: metopera, via Instagram Aug. 5, 2022

Prior to Der Fliegende Holländer, Girard had participated in two seasons at the Metropolitan Opera. He had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, as director of his new production of Wagner's Parsifal in the opera company's 289th performance of Parsifal. Girard's first Met Opera production, which also initiated his Met Opera lineup of exclusively Wagnerian operas, had received seven performances in its debut season. Its second through seventh performances were offered Monday, Feb. 18; Thursday, Feb. 21; Wednesday, Feb. 27; Saturday, March 2; Tuesday, March 5; and Friday, March 8.

The first revival of Girard's production of Parsifal took place, with seven performances, in the 2017-2018 Met Opera season. The first revival opened Monday, Feb. 5, 2018. The second through seventh, closing performances were held Saturday, Feb. 10; Tuesday, Feb. 13; Saturday, Feb. 17; Tuesday, Feb. 20; Friday, Feb. 23; and Tuesday, Feb. 27.

Two of the three Wagnerian operas staged by Girard are related. Lohengrin as Parsifal's son makes Lohengrin a sequel and Parsifal a prequel, Girard observed in an interview with Met Opera writer and radio producer William Berger, edited by Met Opera's senior editor, Christopher Browner, and published as a Discover article on Met Opera's website and as a Classic Arts Feature Feb. 24, 2023, on Playbill's website. Girard's dream is to stage Parsifal and Lohengrin on consecutive nights. The consecutive staging facilitates sensitivity to such "connections between these two extraordinary pieces" as the movement from the magical world of Parsifal to the real world of Lohengrin, a revelation that would be obvious with the consecutive staging.

The Metropolitan Opera's 2023-2024 season's roster does not include any of Girard's three productions. A Wagnerian opera, however, numbers among the season's 18 operas. Tannhäuser returns in the 2023-2024 season for the ninth revival of the new production debuted by Otto Schenk (born June 12, 1930) in the 1977-1978 season. The Austrian opera and theater director had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Oct. 4, 1968, in the opera company's 490th performance of Tosca by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924).

The Metropolitan Opera's third music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, has conducted in two of François Girard's three Met Opera productions; Met Opera's third music director conducted all seven performances of the first revival of Parsifal in the 2017-2018 season and seven of the 10 performances of Lohengrin as a new production in the 2022-2023 season: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook March 6, 2023

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

French Canadian director François Girard's Met Opera portfolio exclusively comprises Wagnerian operas, with a lineup of Parsifal for his Met Opera debut in the 2012-2013 season, Der Fliegende Holländer in 2019-2020 and Lohengrin in 2022-2023; German dramatic soprano Evelyn Herlitizus as Kundry, with French Canadian director François Girard, during 2017-2018 season rehearsals for the first revival of Girard's 2012-2013 season-debuting new production of Wagner's Parsifal: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook Jan. 24, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/10160024819210533/

South African soprano Elza van den Heever as Senta, redeemer of the wandering Dutchman, in François Girard's production of Wagner's Der Fliegende Holländer; sets by John Macfarlane, costumes by Moritz Junge, lighting by David Finn, projection by Peter Flaherty, choreography by Carolyn Choa, dramaturgy by Serge Lamothe: metopera, via Instagram Aug. 5, 2022, @ https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg4r99Ys0Ym/

The Metropolitan Opera's third music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, has conducted in two of François Girard's three Met Opera productions; Met Opera's third music director conducted all seven performances of the first revival of Parsifal in the 2017-2018 season and seven of the 10 performances of Lohengrin as a new production in the 2022-2023 season: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook March 6, 2023, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/pfbid0t8z2tuUpB59heefQHBmqZTQYXnkbXPVPibjR2yd1iysLBAjXpPdJiz8Ffmk5kXSRl (post URL) and https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=754286779399427&set=pcb.754286802732758 (individual image ID)

For further information:

Berger, William. "Song of the Swan." The Metropolitan Opera > Discover.
Available @ https://www.metopera.org/discover/articles/song-of-the-swan/

Berger, William; and Christopher Browner. "Why François Girard Considers His New Lohengrin a Sequel to His Parsifal." Playbill > Classic Arts Feature. Feb. 24, 2023.
Available @ https://playbill.com/article/why-francois-girard-considers-his-new-lohengrin-a-sequel-to-his-parsifal

Berger, William; and Christopher Browner, ed. "Modern Myth." The Metropolitan Opera > Discover.
Available @ https://www.metopera.org/discover/articles/modern-myth/

Blum, Ronald. "Met Opera scraps set from Russia, builds own for 'Lohengrin’". Feb. 24, 2023. Last updated Feb. 25, 2023.
Available @ https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/met-opera-scraps-set-from-russia-builds-own-for-lohengrin/

"Debut: Otto Schenk." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 216180 New production Tosca {490} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/4/1968.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=216180

"Debuts: François Girard, Thibault Vancraenenbroeck, David Finn, Peter Flaherty, Serge Lamothe Lauren McNeese, Jennifer Forni, Heather Johnson, Mario Chang, Rúni Brattaberg, Kiera Duffy." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354861 New Production Parsifal {289} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/15/2013, Metropolitan Opera Radio Sirius XM channel 74 Broadcast live. Streamed at metopera.org (Debuts: François Girard, Thibault Vancraenenbroeck, David Finn, Peter Flaherty, Serge Lamothe, Lauren McNeese, Jennifer Forni, Heather Johnson, Mario Chang, Rúni Brattaberg, Kiera Duffy). Metropolitan Opera House. February 15, 2013 Broadcast/Streamed. New Production.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354861

Marriner, Derdriu. "Der Fliegende Holländer Is the April 29, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, April 24, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/04/der-fliegende-hollander-is-april-29.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Der Fliegende Holländer Is June 10, 2023, as Saturday Radio Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, June 5, 2023.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2023/06/der-fliegende-hollander-is-june-10-2023.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Der Fliegende Holländer Was To Be March 14, 2020, Met Opera Saturday Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, March 9, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/03/der-fliegende-hollander-is-march-14.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera's 2022-2023 Season Has 24 Saturday Matinee Opera Broadcasts." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 28, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/11/met-operas-2022-2023-season-has-24.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Parsifal Is Feb. 17, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, Feb. 12, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/02/parsifal-is-feb-17-2018-met-opera.html

metopera. “'I feel I didn’t choose Wagner; Wagner chose me,' said director François Girard, who has staged two Wagner operas at the Met: Parsifal (2013), and Der Fliegende Holländer (2020). He’ll add a third Wagner to his Met credits in the 2022–23 season with a new atmospheric and visually striking production of Lohengrin. Follow the link in our bio for more details! Photos by Ken Howard / Met Opera." Instagram. Aug. 5, 2022.
Available via Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg4r99Ys0Ym/

The Metropolitan Opera. "Director François Girard works with the cast of Parsifal in this early stage rehearsal. Wagner's transcendental meditation stars Klaus Florian Vogt in the title role, Peter Mattei as Amfortas, René Pape as Gurnemanz, and Evelyn Herlitizus as Kundry. Music Director Designate Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts. More: bit.ly/2srchQV. Photos by Jonathan Tichler/Met Opera." Facebook. Jan. 24, 2018.
Available via Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/10160024819210533/

The Metropolitan Opera. "A Message to our Audience." The Metropolitan Opera > User Information.
Available @ https://www.metopera.org/user-information/2020-21-season-update/

The Metropolitan Opera. "Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting Wagner's Lohengrin (Marty Sohl / Met Opera)." Facebook. March 6, 2023.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/pfbid0t8z2tuUpB59heefQHBmqZTQYXnkbXPVPibjR2yd1iysLBAjXpPdJiz8Ffmk5kXSRl

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "In light of the circumstances involving the coronavirus and in consultation with the Office of the Mayor of New York City, we regret to inform our audience that all Met performances have been canceled through March 31, including tonight’s planned performance of La Cenerentola. This Saturday’s Live in HD cinema presentation of Der Fliegende Holländer has also been canceled. Thank you for your understanding. Learn More: www.metopera.org/updates." Facebook. March 12, 2020.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/10163327604920533

“Metropolitan Opera Premiere: Der Fliegende Holländer.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 8000 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Der Fliegende Holländer {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/27/1889.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=8000

"Metropolitan Opera Premiere: Lohengrin." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1090 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Lohengrin {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/7/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1090

"New Production: Der Fliegende Holländer." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357436 Der Fliegende Holländer {160} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/02/2020, Metropolitan Opera Radio Sirius XM channel 75 Broadcast live Streamed at metopera.org. (New Production Broadcast/Streamed Debuts: Anja Kampe, Mihoko Fujimura, Alison Clancy). Metropolitan Opera House. March 2, 2020 Broadcast/Streamed. New Production.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357436

"New Production: Lohengrin." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357826 New Production Lohengrin {619} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 02/26/2023. (New Production Debuts: Stefan Egerstrom, Tim Yip) Metropolitan Opera House February 26, 2023 Matinee New Production.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357826

“New Production: Parsifal.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354861 Parsifal {289} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/15/2013.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354861

"Season Cancellation March 12-May 9, 2020." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357448 Season Cancellation March 12-May 9, 2020. Metropolitan Opera House: 03/12/2020.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357448

Woolfe, Zachary. "The Met Opera’s ‘Dutchman’ Sails Into Port With a New Star: Its director, François Girard, is becoming the company’s go-to for Wagner, with 'Lohengrin' to come." The New York Times > Arts > Music. March 1, 2020.
Available @ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/01/arts/music/flying-dutchman-met-opera.html