There is much to enjoy in this studio recording. The recorded sound is warm and vivid
with an excellent balance between the voices and the orchestra. The voices have enough
presence for the words to be clearly intelligible do not sound unnaturally forward of the
orchestra; even in the major climaxes both orchestra and voices ring out clearly and distinctly.
As usual in his recordings Giuseppe Sinopoli brings plenty of energy to the music with a wide
dynamic range and extreme changes in tempo, which works very well with this score. Vocally
the soloists are well up to the demands of the music and the small role of the Steersman is given
luxury casting with Peter Seiffert early in his career.
My main reservation about the performance is that it lacks a sense of drama and never
escapes the limitations of a studio recording. Bernd Weikl sings the Dutchman’s music very
tastefully and with fine tone, but never really catches the desperate anguish of the character,
while Hans Sotin as Daland sings mellifluously but is also rather bland. Peter Seiffert sings the
Steersman with beautiful tone but his solo lacks any sense of growing sleepy, he simply
studiously observes the dynamics. Only Cheryl Studer and Placido Domingo bring some life to
their characters as Senta and Erik, and Domingo makes the usually whiny Erik so vivid and
passionate that it seems improbable that Senta would turn him down for the rather colorless
stranger. Despite the fine overall recorded sound, there is no attempt to make use of the
possibilities of stereo to clarify the action or relationships. The singers are anchored to their
microphones center stage and the chorus is arrayed behind them in concert position. Even in
their simultaneous internal monologues in Act 2, Senta and the Dutchman are audibly standing
right next to one another singing into microphones.
Despite my reservations, there is fine music-making here, though it could have been
much more than that. Recommended as a concert version of the opera