Fliegende Holländer 2009Hamburg State Opera
Read more about the opera Flying Dutchman
The first time the Hamburg State Opera came to the Edinburgh Festival, back in 1952, they stayed for three weeks and staged six operas. Here on their fifth visit things were a little different - just a single performance, and that one presented as a concert in the Usher Hall.
Still, it brought together the prominent veteran Hamburg-based baritone Franz Grundheber and the Australian musical director Simone Young. Grundheber's only previous visit had been as a young member of the ensemble back in 1968.
There was one singer warmly remembered from a previous appearance. Nikolai Schukoff had some years earlier sung Alfredo in La traviata with Scottish Opera. He was still a handsome figure and an excellent actor with a good voice, even if Erik perhaps only exploits the last of those requirements.
The other names were decidedly less well-known, but all gave a perfectly competent account of the score. Eva Johansson was particularly effective as Senta.
