Tamara Banješević - Weber: Der Freischütz, Op. 77, J. 277 (Live) (2020)

Der Freischütz represents a milestone in the history of German opera. Written in 1821 against the backcloth of the Wars of Liberation against Napoleon, this so-called national opera expresses the Germans desire for cultural identity. The librettist Johann Friedrich Kind places the action around the time of the Thirty Years War (161848), a time when society was shaped by religious power struggles, war and outdated rituals, leading to a blurring of reality and the illusion of a perfect world. According to ancient custom, the huntsman Max is allowed to take his beloved Agathe as his wife and become a hereditary forester only if his shot in a shooting contest hits its mark. But Kaspar tries to lure Max into a pact with the devil that ensures seven free bullets for Max that will not miss their target in the Wolfschlucht The recording took place on 8 December 2018 with the Essen Philharmonic under Tomá Netopil in the Aalto Theater Essen. The production will be revived in April 2020.