Der Freischütz or The Marksman or The Freeshooter is a German opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind, based on a story by Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun from their 1810 collection ghost stories. It premiered on June 18th, 1821 at the Schauspielhaus Berlin. It is considered the first German Romantic opera.
The opera's plot is mainly based on August Apel's tale "Der Freischütz" from the Gespensterbuch though the hermit, Kaspar and Ännchen are new to Kind's libretto. That Weber's tunes were just German folk music is a common misconception. Its unearthly portrayal of the supernatural in the famous Wolf's Glen scene has been described as "the most expressive rendering of the gruesome that is to be found in a musical score".
Cast:
Max - René Kollo
Agathe - Hildegard Behrens
Kaspar - Peter Meven
Ottokar - Wolfgang Brendel
Kuno - Raimund Grumbach
Kilian - Hermann Sapell
Hermit - Kurt Moll
Zamiel - Rolf Boysen
Ännchen - Helen Donath
Orchestra - Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Chorus - Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Rafael Kubelik
London 1979