We need a bit of lightening up here on the rocky coast of Norway. For the past few days we have been working hard on Act III. It opens with two opposing men's choruses, that of Daland's ship and the Ghost Ship. "Steuermann, lasst die Wacht!" must be one of the most difficult opera choruses in the entire repertory. The Mobilians are making a valiant attempt at it. Actually, the men are doing better than the women. The latter are consistently behind the beat in every single number they sing. Maybe we need to offer them strong coffee. Wagner's directions for the finale of the opera are all but impossible to follow. Here is the translation thereof from my score:
"Senta casts herself into the sea. The Dutchman's ship, with all her crew, sings immediately. The sea rises high, and sinks back in a whirlpool. In the glow of the sunset are clearly seen, over the wreck of the ship, the forms of Senta and the Dutchman embracing each other, rising from the sea and floating upwards."
Is he kidding? How on earth is anyone supposed to portray that? Mobile Opera has hired one of the country's foremost lighting designers to create video projections. These can be vastly more effective than scenery. Yesterday there was a session with the two principals in a salt water pool where they were filmed under water, be-wigged and in costume. (I wasn't there, but heard that, because of the wet suits they were wearing, they were so buoyant it was a problem keeping them submerged long enough to do the takes.) These images will be projected to portray the marine apotheosis of Senta and the Dutchman. I am very curious to see what this will look like. If the under water shots didn't work out there is always the option of projecting Kermit and Miss Piggy and ending the opera on a comic note. (An audio clip of the Act III opening chorus can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fztb-TipoH0)
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