Description:

This recording of Der fliegende Holländer will likely leave you astonished and puzzled. Astonished at the amazing versatility of Cornell MacNeil who steps outside of his Italian opera comfort zone, naving into the deep waters of Wagner and delivers a performance that can only be described as a complete triumph. Puzzled as to why he didn’t explore the Wagnerian rep in greater detail (just imagine the Wotan that never was…) MacNeil’s voice, with its rich middle and stentorian top, delivers a Dutchman that is both brooding and poetic. Few baritones come to mind who could deliver the many long legato lines in the monologue as elegantly as MacNeil. Janis Martin as Senta is also quite good. Martin’s voice lacked that special quality that propels singers towards stardom, but her technique was quite strong and she is able to cope with Senta’s hysterical outbursts as well as her wide-eyed wonder when she finally meets the source of her fixation. The sound is good.

OD 11162-2