Talk:The Flying Dutchman (opera)/Comments

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Near the top of Start class and bordering on B. Suggestions for improvements:

  • More on performance history
  • The synopsis needs to be rewritten in modern English, and the first lines of arias, etc., should be shown in German (or German and modern English)
  • A section on the music and on critical appreciation of the opera is needed
  • At least one illustration is needed

--GuillaumeTell 21:55, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Mid Start class (48 points).

  • I agree with GuillaumeTell's suggestions. (My notes corresponded exactly.)

-- Kleinzach 00:15, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Middle Start class. I agree with the comments above, but want to add that the article also has its strengths. The parts discussing the composition and text are already up to the level for the next assessment grade even without my suggested additions.

The following marking scheme indicates where marks can most easily be picked up:

  • Background/composition/text 10/15 Reasonably thorough. I would probably mention that RW was in Dresden following the success of Rienzi and had started a career with the opera company. Redemption through love is already a theme in earlier works (Die Feen and arguably Das Liebesverbot).
  • Performance History 5/15. Have details of premiere and that it is in Bayreuth canon, but needs more on how succesful it was in Dresden, how quickly it spread, how often modern houses give it etc.
  • Tabulated list of roles 5/5.
  • Synopsis 8/10. Language somewhat stilted.
  • Notable arias etc. 3/5 German first lines are preferred and probably more numbers could be mentioned in the synopsis, e.g. the drinking chorus and challenge in Act 3 should be more clearly highlighted in synopsis.
  • Music/critical reception 4/15. Occasional references to music, e.g. to use of leitmotifs in the overture in the lede but needs to be dealt with more thoroughly and with its own section in the body of the article. Critical reception not mentioned at all apart from Paris rejection.
  • Recordings 5/10. I've seen the link to the discography page, but it's worth maybe picking out one or two particularly praised recordings for mention here (e.g. award winning, recommended in books on the Dutchman or in Gramophone or Penguin guides or equivalents abroad.) on this page with reference to complete discography. Also should mention who has recorded overture and other extracts.
  • Illustrations 0/10. As well as pictorial illustrations, this part of the markign scheme includes musical illustrations. Within Wikipedia's sound file policy, it is possible to put up brief low-fi extracts e.g. of the opening of the overture. The older recordings in the discography are out of copyright, and larger extracts of those are feasible.
  • Referencing/notes/links 7/15. It's good to see inline referencing started already, but for when we try to get this article to GA and FA, more thorough inline referencing will be needed. There are probably more useful external links that can be found. Total 47/100--Peter cohen 19:25, 9 September 2007 (UTC)