“And the whole thing ended happily,” wrote Weber about his new opera Der Freischütz to his bride Caroline Brandt in March of 1817. But before everything can end happily ever after in this eerie story about fear of failure, societal constraints, and the individual’s right to happiness, the abyss opens up, and for a moment it seems as though evil will prevail. Max, the young forester, knows that his social standing and romantic prospects are dependent upon his performance at the traditional test of skill in marksmanship. But the only way he sees to pass the test involves a deal with the devil. Kaspar, disillusioned, has already submitted to the devil. And Agathe, betrothed to Max, must ask herself: “Do I leave myself to the hand of Fate?” Troubled, she tries to fight against what she perceives to be her destiny’s inevitability. Like all of the characters in the opera, she believes that her God has a true enemy. Weber created a unique musical context in which his characters’ thoughts and deeds all take place in a religious-demonic world, one that is entangled with the dark powers

Heidi Zippel

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Past events

Feb 14 - Mar 20, 2025

Der Freischütz · Oper Leipzig

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