‘The Flying Dutchman’ performed in Barcelona’s Liceu to celebrate the bicentenary of Wagner’s birth

Barcelona (ACN).- Wagner’s opera 'Der fliegende Holländer' or ‘The Flying Dutchman’ has come to Barcelona this September and will serve as an advance bicentennial celebration of the composer’s birth. The Bayreuth Festival (Bayreuther Festspiele) is showing three of its main highlights for five days in Barcelona. The story of the ghost ship and the redemption of love in Wagner’s 1843 opera started the program which will include showings of ‘Lohengrin’ and ‘Tristan and Isolde’, ending on September 6th. 200 people are involved in the performances at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu.

200 people have come to Barcelona, including orchestral musicians, choir singers, soloists and directors from the famous Bayreuth Festival to perform three major works by Richard Wagner. Having started last Saturday, the performances are running at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, with ‘The Flying Dutchman’ on September 1^st and 4^th, ‘Lohengrin’ on September 2^nd and 5^th and finishing with ‘Tristan and Isolde’ on September 6^th.

This is the second time that the festival, founded and designed by Wagner himself, has come to Barcelona. The first time was in 1955. Last Saturday, the Wagner festival started with ‘Der fliegende Holländer’ or ‘The Flying Dutchman’, telling the story and legend of the eternal ghost ship. The opera that Wagner wrote and later released in 1843 is the story of redemption

‘The Flying Dutchman’ is essentially the story of a Dutch sailor condemned to sail endlessly on the ghost ship for having defied god, a punishment that won’t end until a woman’s love redeems him. The opera is from the perspective of Senta, who will eventually be the Dutchman’s salvation.

Sebastian Weigle directs ‘The Flying Dutchman’ and ‘Lohengrin’, while Peter Schneider is responsible for ‘Tristan and Isolde’. The ticket prices range from €28 for the cheapest seats to €280 for the best seats.