Der Freischütz

Carl Maria von Weber's 1821 masterwork—a milestone in the development of German Romantic opera—tells a supernatural tale that focuses on Max, a huntsman who is so anxious to win the hand of Agathe in a shooting contest that he is persuaded by Kaspar, a man who has sold his soul to the devil, to do the same in return for seven magic bullets that will always find their targets. It would be difficult to imagine a more potent presentation of Der Freischütz—which boasts a succession of memorable arias and choruses—than this 2015 production from the Dresden Semperoper. Christian Thielemann coaxes extraordinary playing from the Staatskapelle Dresden, while the vocalism is top-notch, with Michael König (Max), Sara Jakubiak (Agathe) and Georg Zeppenfeld (Kaspar) all superb, and Christina Landshamer adding a touch of joviality as Agathe's good-natured cousin Ännchen. Some may object to director Axel Köhler's updating of the action from the 17th century to what appears to be post-WWII, but he certainly creates a striking tableau for the key setting of Wolf's Glen, which features corpses hanging in the air, bathed in hellish red lighting. In all, this is a thoroughly gripping version of Weber's opera, even though the visuals are sometimes a bit too dark (a deliberate effect of the lighting design). Presented in DTS 5.0 (DTS-HD 5.0 on the Blu-ray release) and PCM stereo, this is highly recommended. (F. Swietek)