Abstract
Carl Maria von Weber’s opera Der Freischütz is one of the musical touchstones of German Romanticism. It takes us from the Biedermeier forester and forest idyll of an upcoming wedding deep down into the legendary Wolfsschlucht, or Wolf’s Glen, one of the most infamous places in the history of opera, where wild boars race and magic bullets controlled by the devil are cast. Weber's boldly orchestrated Wolfsschlucht music captivated an entire generation of composers in the 19th century, and it still retains its grandiose, demonic effect today. That scene alone makes Freischütz an irreplaceable component in the repertoire of every opera house.
The Zurich production by German director Herbert Fritsch has achieved cult status, in part because it exposes the works’ sinister and farcical sides. With his colorfully artistic, exceptionally physical theatrical language, Fritsch succeeded in creating a captivatingly different take on an opera classic. Adorned in Victoria Behr’s spectacular, imaginatively overdrawn costumes, Fritsch has the characters in Freischütz dance around a dollhouse-like village church. They draw energy from the comically exalted interplay between chorus and soloists – with an infinitely nonsensical Samiel in the middle of it all.
Our revival features some of today’s strongest singer-actors in the German repertoire. American Jacquelyn Wagner sings the demanding role of Agathe. The German bass Christof Fischesser, who has been closely associated with the Zurich Opera House throughout many new productions, takes on the role of Kaspar, which he also sang in the premiere six years ago. As in the most recent run of performances, Benjamin Bruns bows as a cowardly but vocally secure Max. Leading the performances musically is Axel Kober, a conductor who specializes in German Romantic repertoire, and who knows Freischütz’ c-minor devilry inside and out.