Stars: Jorma Silvasti, Hamburgische Staatsoper, Ingo Metzmacher

Summary: Carl Maria von Weber's famous opera performed at the Hamburg Staatsoper in 1999.

Carl Maria Von Weber may have been overshadowed by that monolith of Romantic German opera, Richard Wagner, but his work is still lauded by many, particularly the opera DER FREISCHUTZ. First performed in Berlin in 1821, the opera was applauded by legendary composers like Beethoven, Berlioz, and Wagner himself. This performance was staged in 1999 at the Hamburg Staatsoper under the music direction of Ingo Metzmacher. Jorma Silvasti, Charlotte Margiono, Albert Dohmen, and Sabine Ritterbusch star.

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Der Freischutz spends much of its length being an amiable sing-along about young Max's need to win a shooting competition in order to be allowed to woo his sweetheart Agnes. It is charming and tuneful but not exceptional. It is only when the treacherous Caspar persuades Max to seek supernatural assistance and cast magic bullets with the aid of the demon Samiel that it suddenly becomes one of the touchstones of dark high-Romanticism. One of the strengths of this production is that Albert Dohmen's handsome and vocally impressive Caspar imposes a vivid presence at an early stage so that there is no sudden leap from one style to another. The Wolf's Glen scene is traditionally one in which the designer and director go over the top, and this production is no exception--strobes and sirens abound. Charlotte Margiano provides a soulful, slightly tear-stained Agnes; Sabine Rittersbusch makes the soubrette role of Annchen a source of real comic charm. The orchestral contribution is idiomatic and well served by vivid sound. --Roz Kaveney

On the DVD: The DVD comes equipped with scene selection and with subtitles in German, French and English; the menu is also available in Spanish. --Roz Kaveney

Aspect Ratio:	16:9 Wide Screen
Main Language:	German
Region:	Region 0
Subtitles:	English, French, German
Year:	1999
Release Date:	December 4, 2000
Runtime:	160 minutes
Certification:	Exempt.
Catalogue Number:	100 106
Keywords:	Music, Opera, Freischutz, Classical, Performing, Der, Choral, Operetta, Vocal, Arts
Genre:	Music/Performing Arts