After the worst of the storm in Act I of The Flying Dutchman --
The STEERSMAN, having been left on deck to stand watch while captain Daland and the rest of the crew, exhausted by their exertions coping with the near-fatal storm, rest below deck. He made one more round of the deck, then sat near the rudder. Now he yawns, then rouses himself as sleep comes over him.
Steersman's Song
Through thunder and storm, from distant seas
I draw near, my lass!
Through towering waves, from the south
I am here, my lass!
My lass, were there no south wind,
I could never come to you:
ah, dear south wind, blow once more!
My lass longs for me.
Hoyohe! Halloho! Yoloho! Hoho!
[A wave breaks against the ship, shaking it violently. The STEERSMAN starts up and looks around. Having satisfied himself that no harm has been done, he sits down again and sings, while sleep gradually overcomes him.]
On southern shores, in distant lands,
I have thought of you.
Through storm and sea, from Moorish strands
a gift I have brought for you.
My lass, praise the fair south wind,
for I bring you a golden ring.
Ah, dear south wind, then blow!
My lass would fain have her gift.
Hoyohe! Halloho! Hoyohe! Halloho!
The STEERSMAN struggles with his fatigue and finally falls asleep. The storm begins to rage violently; it grows darker. In the distance appears the ship of the "Flying Dutchman" with blood-red sails and black masts. She rapidly nears the shore, on the side opposite the Norwegian ship; with a fearful crash, she casts anchor. -- DALAND's STEERSMAN starts up from his sleep; without leaving his place he glances hastily at the helm and, reassured that no harm has been done, murmurs the beginning of his song,
My lass, were there no south wind --
and falls asleep again. -- Mute and without making the slightest noise, the spectral crewmen of the DUTCHMAN furl the sails.-- translation by Lionel Salter
Fritz Wunderlich (t), Steersman; Staatskapelle Berlin, Franz Konwitschny, cond. EMI-Deutsche Schallplatten, recorded 1959
Harald Ek (t), Steersman; Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Karl Böhm, cond. DG, recorded live, July-Aug. 1971
Ernst Häfliger (t), Steersman; RIAS Symphony Orchestra (Berlin), Ferenc Fricsay, cond. DG, recorded 1952
Uwe Heilmann (t), Steersman; Vienna Philharmonic, Christoph von Dohnányi, cond. Decca, recorded March-Nov. 1991
by Ken
I didn't see how it could be done: to get as close as we got, in this week's post ("Ohmygosh, it's turned into Garrulous Old Moneygrubbers' Week here at Sunday Classics -- or has it?"), to the Steersman's Song in Act I of The Flying Dutchman and not hear the song itself. At any rate, I don't know how to do it. And since, as I mentioned, we had a fine sampling of performances in the Sunday Classics audio archive, I gave up trying to resist.
Actually, we're going to significantly more: something I've long longed to hear. Again, I can't help myself. For now, though, here we are, with the sea captain Daland's little ship anchored offshore after being blown violently off course by a sudden storm that attacked it just as it was within sight of home -- Daland could literally see his house. The little Act I excerpt we heard took us right up to the point of the Steersman is left alone on deck, just as he was about to break into song in an effort to keep himself awake.
READY TO JUMP TO THE SECOND HALF OF OUR BONUS?
And it is a jump -- clear to almost the end of Act I. But before we make that jump, we have a situation.
THIS IS TRICKY: A TOTAL SPOILER, SO MAYBE DON'T
LISTEN TILL AFTER WE HEAR THE END OF ACT I?
[NOTE: If you want to bypass the spoiler, just scroll down to "MEANWHILE, BACK ON THE ROCKY SHORE."]
This is, really, the thing I had in mind when I referred to "something I've long longed" to hear, and it might be best for you to hear it now, while the Steersman's Song is still relatively fresh in your ears. In fact, maybe it would be a good idea to freshen those ears with one more run-through, in a performance I've been meaning to listen to for a while -- I've always had considerable fondness for the versatile tenor Anton Dermota, and at 42 he was no up-and-comer. (He'd been singing principal roles with the Vienna State Opera since 1937, and for 1955's historic reopening week of the rebuilt Staatsoper he would be Karl Böhm's Florestan. We heard a snatch of his performance in our Fidelio inquiries.) Let's listen together.
Anton Dermota (t), Steersman; Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Rudolf Moralt, cond. Live performance, Mar. 28, 1953
Hmm, interesting! Anyway, now for our targeted Dutchman selection.
[NOTE: It's not too late to bypass the spoiler; again, just scroll down to "MEANWHILE, BACK ON THE ROCKY SHORE."]
Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra, Woldemar Nelsson, cond. Philips, recorded live, August 1985
Isn't that neat?
MEANWHILE, BACK ON THE ROCKY SHORE
Captain Daland, emerging on the deck of his ship, noticed a stranger onshore, and as a dialogue developed between them, he joined the Dutchman on land. In the course of their ensuing extended chinwag, the long scene we've resolved we're not going to dip into this week (though don't think I didn't think about maybe backing into it a little), Daland learned two things about his mysterious fellow captain:
(1) that he was in possession of unimaginable riches, and
(2) that he was in search of a wife.
And oh, the Dutchman asked, did Daland by chance have a daughter? Now we know the answer to that question! And in short order, in both men's minds a marriage was more or less a done deal. Could he meet the young lady that very night, the Dutchman wondered, and Daland observed presciently: "The next favorable wind will bring us home."
No sooner said than done! Of course, in a frigid northern clime, a "favorable" would typically be a south wind, which is to say a wind coming from the south, the very thing the Steersman had gone on and on about in his song! It wasn't long before . . . well, let's listen. (I should add that one reason I was powerfully tempted here to back up even a little bit into the Dutchman-Daland scene is to better experience the extraordinary lift Wagner's musical rising of the south wind can produce, for me one of the great moments in opera.)
[The storm has completely subsided; the wind has turned round.]
STEERSMAN [on board his ship]: South wind! South wind!
"Ah, dear south wind, then blow!"
SAILORS [waving their caps]: Halloho! Hohohe!
DALAND: You see, fortune favors you:
the wind is fair, the sea calm,
Let us weigh anchor forthwith
and gladly sail for home.
STEERSMAN and SAILORS [weighing anchor and hoisting sail]: Hoho! Halloyo!
DUTCHMAN: May I ask you to sail on ahead?
The wind is fresh, but my crew are weary.
I'll let them rest awhile, then follow on.
DALAND: Yes, but the wind?
DUTCHMAN: It's set to blow from the south!
My ship is swift, and will overtake you.
DALAND: You think so? Well, so be it!
You may yet see my daughter today!
DUTCHMAN: For sure!
DALAND [going aboard his ship]:
Hey! How the sails fill out already!
Ho there! Ho there!
[He gives a signal on his whistle.]
Quick, lads, cast off!
SAILORS [exultantly, as they pull away]:
Through thunder and storm, from distant seas
I draw near, my lass!
Through towering waves, from the south
I am here, my lass!
My lass, were there no south wind,
I could never come to you:
ah, dear south wind, blow once more!
My lass longs for me.
Hoyohe! Halloho! Yoloho!
[The DUTCHMAN goes aboard his ship.]
END OF ACT I-- translation by Lionel Salter
["Mit Gewitter und Sturm" at 1:40] Ernst Häfliger (t), Steersman; Josef Greindl (bs), Daland; Josef Metternich (b), Dutchman; RIAS Chamber Chorus and Symphony Orchestra (Berlin), Ferenc Fricsay, cond. DG, recorded 1952
["Mit Gewitter und Sturm" at 1:57] Uwe Heilmann (t), Steersman; Kurt Rydl (bs), Daland; Robert Hale (bs-b), Dutchman; Vienna State Opera Concert Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic, Christoph von Dohnányi, cond. Decca, recorded March-Nov. 1991
NOTE: These recordings follow Wagner's original single-act plan and so don't include the rousing formal orchestral close of Act I:
["Mit Gewitter und Sturm" at 1:47] Harald Ek (t), Steersman; Karl Ridderbusch (bs), Daland; Thomas Stewart (b), Dutchman; Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra, Karl Böhm, cond. DG, recorded live, July-Aug. 1971
["Mit Gewitter und Sturm" at 1:51] Fritz Wunderlich (t), Steersman; Gottlob Frick (bs), Daland; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (b), Dutchman; Berlin State Opera Chorus, Staatskapelle Berlin, Franz Konwitschny, cond. EMI-Eterna, recorded February 1960
YOU KNOW, WE COULD REALLY HEAR OUR TWO
ACT I DUTCHMAN BITS ONE AFTER THE OTHER
So why don't we? These clips are from the performance we sampled in one of the older Dutchman posts and then again -- just the sailors' version of the Steersman's Song in the "spoiler-alerted" post box above -- that I was reminded I like a lot.
From the Steersman's Song to the Dutchman's stealthy entrance
From the rising of the south wind to the end of Act I
["Mit Gewitter und Sturm" at 1:57]
Graham Clark (t), Steersman; Matti Salminen (bs), Daland; Simon Estes (bs-b), Dutchman; Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra, Woldemar Nelsson, cond. Philips, recorded live, August 1985
NOTE: Like the two versions above that follow Wagner's one-act plan, this performance omits the rousing final chunk of the stand-alone Act I orchestral postlude. In this case our clip includes the full transition to the similarly pared-down orchestral introduction to Act II.
WE'VE ACTUALLY GOT SOME MORE POTENTIAL
DUTCHMAN "BONUS" BUSINESS HANGING OVER US
I'm still upset about that icky picture of Josef Greindl as "Daland the Fat Clown," and am thinking we ought to, y'know, do something about it.
Maybe for now we could just listen again to Josef G just singing that bit we heard from the opening scene of Dutchman.
WAGNER: The Flying Dutchman: Act I, Daland, "Kein Zweifel! Sieben Meilen fort" ("No doubt! Seven miles away")
A steep rocky shore. The sea occupies the greater part of the stage a wide view over it. DALAND's ship remains anchored near the shore after the violent storm that came up suddenly. The sailors are noisily occupied in furling the sails, casting ropes, etc. DALAND has gone ashore and has climbed a cliff to look landwards to get his bearings.
DALAND [coming down from the cliff]:
No doubt of it! Seven miles the storm
has driven us from safe heaven.
So near our goal after this long voyage
this trick was saved up for me!
STEERSMAN [on board, shouting through his cupped hands]:
Ho! Captain!
DALAND: How goes it on board with you?
STEERSMAN [as before]: All's well, Captain. We have firm moorings.
DALAND: This is Sandwike! I know the bay well.
Damnation! I saw my house on the shore,
and thought to embrace Senta, my child!
Then came this blast from the depths of hell . . . to rely on the wind is to rely on Satan's mercy!
[Going on board] Ah well! Patience, the storm abates;
so fierce a storm could not last.
[On board] Hey, my lads! You've kept watch a long time:
now get some rest! There's no more to fear!
[The sailors go below.]
Now, steersman, will you take the helm for me?
[DALAND goes into his cabin. The steersman is alone on the deck. The storm has somewhat abated and returns only at sporadic intervals; the waves are still rough on the open sea. The STEERSMAN goes his round once more, then seats himself near the rudder.]-- translation by Lionel Salter
Josef Greindl (bs), Daland; Ernst Häfliger (t), Steersman; RIAS Symphony Orchestra (Berlin), Ferenc Fricsay, cond. DG, recorded 1952
For what it's worth, earlier on when I relistened to this clip, with the image of that awful picture in my head, I added the following bit, which as a later insert may not have been seen by earlier readers of that post:
About that picture of Greindl as Daland: Whoever costumed him meant him to look like a clown, right? Oh jeez! I invite you to try this experiment. Scroll down in this post to the "Kein Zweifel!" excerpt from Act I of Dutchman, and listen to the performance from the 1952 Fricsay-DG recording with Greindl as Daland. It's the least beautifully sung of the four performances we hear there, and I would probably rank it as my fourth-favorite among the four. But tell me if you can that you don't hear the anger and defiance as well as terror and sheer relief of a man who knows that he has just, by the narrowest of margins, escaped death -- and not just his own, but that of the crew for which he's responsible. Now, is there any cell in your brain that accepts that it might be in any way acceptable to presume to make fun of this man?I'll stand by that. As a matter of fact, I think it may merit some further inquiry.
All that said, especially on records where we have only sound to work with, this isn't a sound I want to hear for either Rocco or Daland. And I hope you'll hear what I mean when we hear some counter-examples in both roles.
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