For the first time, Der fliegende Holländer was staged in Bayreuth in 1901 by Siegfried Wagner. The now tenth production is overseen by director Jan Philipp Gloger and his team. They have already been working in Bayreuth for eight days. They rehearse on the stage of the Festspielhaus together with colleagues from stage and extras, technology and lighting, and fine-tune the last details of the stage design, props, and costumes with the workshops. The second week of rehearsals, which for the first time also includes scenic rehearsals with the soloists, traditionally opens with the concept discussion on Monday morning, where the staging team explains their plans.

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Concept Discussion for the New Production Der Fliegende Holländer

Director Jan Philipp Gloger Presents His Concept

All participants in the production gathered for the presentation on the stage of the Festspielhaus, amidst the impressive stage design: from the festival management to the soloists and employees of the technical department, the workshops and administration, assistants, stage managers and prompters, right up to the musical direction. They are all looking forward to being introduced to the background of this year’s new production by the directing team.

At the outset, Eva Wagner-Pasquier and Katharina Wagner welcome those present. Conductor Christian Thielemann and the soloists of the Holländer, some of whom are singing in Bayreuth for the first time, are individually named and welcomed with warm applause from everyone. Then the floor is given to Jan Philipp Gloger, who briefly introduces his team and then begins with an introduction to his perspective on Richard Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer.

Jan Philipp Gloger’s core concern for all his productions is a fundamental one: he wants to tell stories about people. He is particularly interested in one aspect of Der fliegende Holländer: What if the Holländer is not a projection, not a ghost – as in many other interpretations? But what if he is a human being, of flesh and blood? This question is one of the starting points of his production, which shifts the action, supported by stage design and costumes, into a critical representation of the present, as in Gloger’s last production Alcina.

Set designer Christof Hetzer and costume designer Karin Jud, in turn, explain individual aspects of the production. For example, a total of 58 dresses are used for the women’s choir, each individually designed. At the end of the concept discussion, all those present briefly go into the auditorium to witness a short test run of the stage design, as planned primarily for the first act. We are impressed.

This outlines the basic direction of the production. Many questions remain open, many details still need to be worked out, but the team will fine-tune these in the rehearsals of the coming weeks with soloists and choir. A precise personal direction in interaction with the music is Jan Philipp Gloger’s declared goal. Every character – for example, Mary – has a story that needs to be told. “Everyone involved on stage must know why they are doing what they are doing – and convey that to the audience.” He wants to work intensively on this – and looks forward to an exciting collaboration and a great result.