While trying to evade a cape, the Dutch captain committed blasphemy and was sentenced, along with his crew, to roam the seven seas forever. Only the love of a woman could save him. To find this faithful soul, the Dutchman is allowed to go ashore every seven years, but so far his search has come to nothing. In the love of Senta, the daughter of the Norwegian merchant Daland, the cursed man finally finds the long-awaited redemption.

With The Flying Dutchman, the then 29-year-old Richard Wagner developed themes that would continue to preoccupy him in the decades that followed. The focus of the plot is the redemption of a social misfit through the self-sacrifice of a loving wife. With the score, Richard Wagner directed the future form of music drama, using music to shift the action from the outer drama to the inner moods of the characters.

Introduction to the performance
45 minutes before the start of the performance, dramaturgy offers an introduction to the play in the glass foyer of the theatre auditorium on the following dates. Admission is included in the ticket.