Why did audiences in Dresden initially react poorly to The Flying Dutchman?

When The Flying Dutchman was produced in Dresden on January 2, 1843, it received a lukewarm reception because the audience’s expectations were misaligned with the work's innovative nature.1

Having recently enjoyed the triumphant performance of Wagner’s Rienzi in 1842, the Dresden audience anticipated a new opera that followed the established French-Italian tradition. Instead, they were puzzled by The Flying Dutchman, which featured a novel approach that integrated music with dramatic content in a way that departed from the conventional operatic style they were accustomed to.1