Der Freischütz
by Carl Maria von Weber

Saturday, April 18, 2015, 7:00pm
Cross of Christ Lutheran Church
411 156th Ave NE
Bellevue, WA
Sunday, April 19, 2015, 5:00pm
Bethany Lutheran Church, Greenlake
7400 Woodlawn Ave NE
Seattle, WA

Admission $20, cash or check

Cast and Characters

Max
Stephen Wall
Agathe
Regina Thomas
Ännchen
Caspar
Jonathan Silvia
Killian
Cary Lee
Ottokar
Colin Ward
The Hermit
Renwick Hester
Piano
John Burkhardt
Kuno
Michael Monnikendam
Max (cover)
Colin Ward
Agathe (cover)
Breanna Hanson
Ännchen (cover)
Emma Rose Lynn

Orchestra

Violin 1
Candice Chin
Violin 2
Dustin Peskuric
Viola
Jennifer Glenn-Shoval
Cello
Janice Lee
Bass
Ericka Kendall
Flute
Jenna Calixto
Clarinet
Leslie Edwards
Bassoon
Gary Claunch
Horn
Amy Fergusen

Chorus

Emma Rose Lynn, Breanna Hanson, Jenna Moffat, Amy Carter, Diann Spicer,
Greta Birkby, Emily Robinson, Denise Schlickbernd, Bronwyn Scott,
Colin Ward, Cary Lee, Dana Birkby, Steve Duncan, Eric Williams

Synopsis

To gain the hand of Agathe, the forester Max must win a sharpshooting contest. With its lush orchestration and themes of nature, folklore and the supernatural, this rarely performed gem is considered to be the first significant German Opera in the Romantic era and strongly influenced a whole generation of German composers, including the young Richard Wagner. Performed with 9 piece chamber ensemble and piano. Sung in German with English dialogue and supertitles.

About Carl Maria von Weber & Der Freischutz

It is interesting to note that Weber was the cousin of Constanze Weber, who married Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Both Constanze and her sister, Alyosia were gifted singers. Mozart actually lived with the Webers for a time so it is clear that young Carl Maria was exposed to Mozart's work. When the Magic Flute was performed in 1791, Weber had close knowledge of this early attempt at creating a truly German Opera and clearly took it to heart.

Sadly, Weber took after Mozart also in that he died at just 39 years old of tuberculosis. He was buried in London were he had been working at the time, but 18 years later his remains were transferred to the family vault in Dresden. The eulogy at the reburial was performed by Wagner himself, a great admirer of Weber's work.

Despite the brevity of his career, Weber's compositions influenced a whole generation of German Romantic composers. He produced a significant body of chamber music featuring woodwinds and horns. His opera orchestration begins a trend of heavier, more colorful use of a variety of instruments producing the lush fuller sounds that distinguish German Romantic music from that of their Classical era predecessors. Weber was also a trendsetter in his use of story/libretto in that he used themes drawn from folklore and legend with magical and supernatural elements as well as the epic struggle of good vs. evil. And really, the settings of his operas feel distinctively German.

The successful premiere of Der Freischütz on 18 June 1821 in Berlin led to performances all over Europe. It was wildly popular and influential.

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