German grand opera arrives.

Carl Maria von Weber is credited both with the birth of German opera and with the transition of opera in Germany from Classical to Romantic. This was not the first German opera, of course, but it was the first highly successful one that was determinedly German.

Before, there was Handel of course, but you wouldn't know he was German: he settled in England and his operas were about mythical gods and either in Italian or in English. Then at turn of century, there was Beethoven, a towering figure in the transition between Classical and Romantic eras, and his one opera, Fidelio, was in German with lots of Singspiel. But its story was French and its themes universal, and it premiered in Vienna. Italian opera dominated in Germany until Weber's Der Freischütz.

Here are some assessments of its significance!

"The opera presented, for the first time, things familiar to every German: the simple village life, with its rough humour and sentimental affections, and the surrounding forest, with its smiling appearance concealing supernatural horror. Above all, the characters, from the cheerful huntsmen and village girls to the simple, valiant hero and the prince who rules over them, were all—with the tuneful, sensational music—a mirror in which every German could find his reflection. In Der Freischütz Weber not only helped liberate German opera from French and Italian influences, but, in his novel orchestrations and in his choice of a subject matter containing strong supernatural elements, he laid the foundations of one of the principal forms of 19th-century opera. Der Freischütz made Weber a national hero." Britannica offers a detailed biography too.

It was, Bachtrack puns, the magic bullet that fired German Romantic opera". Take time to read Bachtrack's account of its significance and its fascination for the times.

"In Der Freischütz, Weber created a Singspiel combining all the trappings so dear to the early Romantics: the darkly supernatural; the idealization of the common folk; and, in part, German folksong style that skillfully combined popular music with elements of high art. An overwhelming success, it solidified the entire German school of operatic Romanticism that led directly to the music dramas of Wagner." More here.

The Story

The tale is ages old, deriving from folklore. It's a sort of NRA version of Faust: this is the first time I've been able to link to a shooters' publication in our blog!!

Our hero, Max, sells his soul to the Devil - in the very spooky Wolf's Den - for some magic bullets that will guarantee his shots meet their mark, so he can win a marksmanship contest. Why? Well, winning the context is a condition placed (reasonably, everyone seems to agree) by her father on our hero marrying the woman he loves.

Things get complicated when he aims at a dove and his girl cries out that she is the dove. However, like all pacts with the devil, there's a twist to it... The devil guides the final bullet.

Synopsis and libretto

There's a splendid synopsis, including the musical gems and background here.

And the libretto in English is here.

The music

"Der Freischütz seized the imagination. This wasn’t music about kings or gods or heroes, but a tale – albeit a supernatural one – of simple village life. The peasants’ music such as the Hunters’ chorus and Bridesmaids’ chorus, strongly resembles German folk music. 

Weber’s orchestration is highly innovative. He described how there were two principal elements to his approach: “hunting life and the rule of demonic powers as personified by Samiel”. Hunting life was easily depicted by the use of horns but it’s Weber’s approach to the supernatural which is most striking. For example, Ännchen’s Romance “Einst träumte meiner sel'gen Base”, a mock ghost story, features a spectral obbligato viola." Bachtrack includes a marvellous recording of the ghost story .

Hunters, by Emil Rau (1858-1937)

Yes, there are lots of horns, as befits a piece about hunting. The overture starts with horns. "The music is admirable for its charm, folk-like melodies and dance tunes, as well as moments of dramatic tension and excitement. While many of the ideas were to some degree old hat, Weber had managed to combine them in a way that “hit the mark” of the German soul...

" In 1899 American music historian Henry Krehbiel wrote: “There was never an opera, and there is no likelihood that there will ever be one, so intimately bound up with the loves, feelings, sentiments, emotions, superstitions, social customs… of a people.” (Asheville.)

Best known of these folk themes is the hunters' chorus - listen here.

Or get it in full Andre Rieu style here.

The overture is often played as a concert piece. It's a mix of melodies in the opera. This was unusual at the time: overtures tended to be independent pieces. "But rather than stringing the melodies together like a medley, Weber created a finished composition in the form of symphonic sonata form. Its string tremolo, pizzicato basses and pregnant pauses are the quintessence of German Romanticism."  More here.

Our production

The version we are watching is a 1968 film, one of a set of famous Hamburg State Opera telecasts. Their artistic director, Rolf Liebermann, moved the scenery of rural German life into the TV studio for filming to a pre-recorded soundtrack. Lots of guns and horns, strong performances from the leads, and a wonderful Hamburg chorus.

Other productions available online?

Here's a very intriguing version - full opera produced by not for profit company Queen City Opera in Cincinnatti whose goal is "to transform our community through the arts." It was founded in 2012 "to advance the careers of emerging singers, instrumentalists, designers, and conductors by giving them valuable professional engagements in high-quality productions. We collaborate with community organizations to ensure that the music of the past still resonates today."

QCO also carry strong modern messages with performances of traditional works: this was "The world premiere of the critical edition of Weber’s Der Freischütz focusing on evidence-based approaches to gun violence prevention." Set in a rural hick town in the US, it plays the drama in front of the Community Center, and the Wolf's Glen in hillbilly forest cabin. Their production is very traditional, just reset into traditional America, where the guns may fit, but the drinking song doesn't!

A footnote: is this one opera that you shouldn't update?

Freischütz has been reset many times in modern critical terms, but reviews suggest that to do so undermines the power of the piece. Check out this account of a splendidly colourful and theatrically exciting production at the 1924 Bregenz festival.

Lyn, 17/2/26