What is The Flying Dutchman?
{{italictitle}} {{Infobox opera | name = The Flying Dutchman | translated_name = | native_name = Der fliegende Holländer | native_name_lang = de | image = File:Richard Wagner c.1840.jpg | image_size = 220px | alt = | caption = Wagner, ca. 1840 | genre = [[Opera]] in 3 acts | other_name = | composer = [[Richard Wagner]] | librettist = Richard Wagner | language = German | based_on = Legend | premiere_date = | premiere_location = Semper Oper,<br />[[Dresden]], [[Germany]]<br/ >1843 | other = | website = }} '''''Der fliegende Holländer''''' (''The Flying Dutchman'') is an [[opera]] by [[Richard Wagner]]. Wagner wrote the [[libretto]] himself. The story comes from the [[legend]] of the ''Flying Dutchman'', which is about the captain of a ship. It is his [[fate]] that he has keep sailing the sea, without ever going on to land, until [[Last Judgment|Judgment Day]]. The most important idea in the story as told by Wagner is [[redemption]] through [[love]]. It was a favourite idea of Wagner, who used it a lot in his later operas. Wagner conducted the first performance at the [[Semperoper|Semper Oper]] in [[Dresden]], in [[1843]]. It is an early opera of Wagner, but it shows his mature style. It is very different from the previous opera ''[[Rienzi]]'' which is still quite similar to operas that other composers were writing. In ''Der fliegende Holländer'' the drama is very important. Wagner uses a number of [[leitmotif]]s: musical ideas associated with particular characters and themes in the story. The leitmotifs are all introduced in the [[overture]]. We hear the famous leitmotif of the [[ocean]] and then those of the Dutchman and of Senta, the girl he falls in love with. Wagner originally wrote ''Der fliegende Holländer'' to be performed without any breaks ([[intermission]]). Sometimes it is performed like that today, but Wagner also made a version with thre