PalmDer fliegende Holländer, by Richard Wagner, at the Principal Theater. Impossible!, many of us thought. My faultDifficult, no doubt, but good work and sound judgment prevailed. This isn't a spoiler. It was a success, with a full house, and ohne irrtum —without error— as the composer would say, and surely if he didn't say it, he at least thought it. Everything worked perfectly. Nothing disappointed, and perhaps that remarkable balance achieved was the best and most essential of the many virtues the show possesses. The circle might have been smaller than usual, for obvious reasons, but it was undoubtedly a perfect one. A fact that was already clear from the very first agreements of theOpening, With the imposing brass announcing the stormy tragedy, the Balearic Islands Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Guillermo Garcia-Calvo, for whom Wagner holds far fewer secrets than for the vast majority of conductors, having so thoroughly captured the essence of Bayreuth, thus fulfilling this initial requirement regarding the size of the orchestra, which sounded powerful and expansive, as well as rich in textures and impeccably clear.
Another essential element is, undoubtedly, a reliable Senta, capable of reaching the climactic finale with the solidity demanded by a character with so many nuances and contrasts. Iwona Sobotka was impeccable, with an immense, velvety, and subtle voice when appropriate, possessing a vocal naturalness that is not for sale, as she demonstrated from the very beginning. Johohoe! Traft yhr das Schiff, known as The Ballad of SentaThis was a clear statement of principles and a demonstration of its versatility. Therefore, the project had already achieved 50% of its goal. It wasn't the whole story, not by a long shot.Dutch, George Gatnitze, with his solid and powerful voice, also managed to make a character, not only legendary but almost mythological, very believable. This was a constant in the artistic director Marcelo Lombardero's recreation of each and every character, humanizing them to the fullest extent. In this way, he created a very special and fitting chemistry between Senta and Eric, her suitor, played by Alejandro Roy, who surely brings the most coherence and cohesion to the well-known and mythical story. Joan Laínez, for his part, was an excellent conductor, on par with the rest of the cast, which was no small feat. The orchestra also did not disappoint, compensating for the usual number of singers needed with the orchestral balance we enjoyed on a memorable afternoon for many reasons, such as it being the first Wagner opera ever performed at the Teatro Principal, and celebrating the fortieth anniversary of an opera season that is reaching for the glass ceiling that seemed impossible to break. Long live opera!