The Dutchman flies back for Beijing show

On a Norwegian seashore with steep cliffs, a violent storm rages. A giant ship, 12.8 meters long, 5.1 meters tall and 7.5 meters wide, rocks in a massive rogue wave.

The scene recently took place in the rehearsal room at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing on March 28, a few days before the staging of Der fliegende Hollander, or The Flying Dutchman, an opera by German composer Richard Wagner.

From Wednesday to Sunday, the opera will be performed for the third time at the NCPA. According to revival director, Stephan Grogler, artists from around the world have been gathered for the production, including conductor Marcus Bosch, bass-baritone Olafur Sigurdarson and baritone Dmitry Ulyanov, as well as tenor Wang Chong and soprano Song Yuanming. The China NCPA Orchestra and the China NCPA Chorus will also perform.

"We have built this ship for the opera, which creates an overwhelming experience for the theater audience. Through visual effects, the ship, the waves and everything on the sea seem real," says stage manager Li Genshi, adding that besides the Norwegian Daland's ship, which is a key component of the opera, there is also the Dutchman's, which as the story conveys, is condemned to sail the oceans of the earth forever until its captain finds a woman prepared to be faithful to him until death. Every seven years the Dutchman is permitted to land for its captain to search for a potential partner. The Dutchman's ship also appears onstage and is larger than the Norwegian ship, being 13.6 meters long and 9 meters wide.