Wagner’s early masterpiece is heard in an authoritative, truly classic performance from the composer’s own theater in Bayreuth, Germany, the shrine and Mecca of the true Wagnerite. Some of the greatest singers of the era lead the cast, including Canadian- American bass-baritone George London (1920 –1979), the first American ever to sing the Dutchman at Bayreuth; beloved Viennese soprano Leonie Rysanek (1926–1998), known as the “Queen of Hearts” at the Salzburg Festival; and German bass Josef Greindl (1912–1993), a stalwart of the Deutsche Oper, Berlin, where he sang in 1,369 performances, mostly Wagner! The opera was inspired by Wagner’s reading of a book by Heinrich Heine, Edward Fitzball’s The Flying Dutchman or The Phantom Ship, and Wilhelm Hayff ’s Geisterschiff (Ghost Ship), as well as his own perilous sea voyage in 1839. Der fliegende Holländer is one of the most vivid and colorful of all German Romantic operas, with music that is often hair-raisingly exciting. This masterful performance has long been considered one of the most thrilling ever recorded. Opera d’Oro’s Grand Tier series presents the best-selling Opera d’Oro titles with libretto and deluxe new packaging at mid-price. The Opera d’Oro series has been an unqualified success in the budget category. Now, in response to popular demand, the best titles are being reissued with complete librettos in the original languages and fresh, new English translations, stimulating essays on the operas by eminent music writers, and striking artwork commissioned from Rafal Olbinski. Live performance, 1959.