Back to index of Justin Holland's "Scraps From The Operas"
Opera: Der Freishütz (The Freeshooter; i.e. the marksman
with magic bullets)
Composer: Carl Maria von Weber
Premiere: Berlin, 1821.
Scrap 1: Allegretto.
This is the famous Hunters' Chorus from Act 3 of 3. The hunters sing, "What pleasures on earth equal that of hunter?" It immediately precedes the shooting match in which Max appears to shoot Agathe with the bullet under the control of the devil.
The music is also used in the Entr'acte preceding Act 3.
Scrap 2 (1:11): Andantino Cantabile.
Max, a forester and expert marksman, sings a despairing aria, Durch die Wälder, durch die Auen ("Through the forests, through the meadows"), in Act 1. He has just lost a shooting contest and suspects dark powers have robbed him of his skill - a skill which made him the likely husband for Agathe, the daughter of the head forester, and put him in line for the head forester job.
Scrap 3 (2:24): Tempo di Valse.
This Bohemian waltz directly precedes Max's aria above in Act 1. He has been invited to join in, but is in no mood for it.
Next Opera Scrap: No. 5 - "Fille du Regiment"
Previous Opera Scrap: No. 3 - "Fra Diavolo"
Index of all 20 "Scraps From The Operas"
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