Der Freischütz

Romantic opera in three acts (1821)
Libretto by Friedrich Kind  
sung in German with German surtitles

PREMIERE

17th July 2024 - 9.15 p.m., Seebühne

An uninviting village in Germany shortly after the Thirty Years’ War: The young scrivener Max loves Agathe, the daughter of the head forester Kuno. But in order to Marry her, the inexperienced marksman Max must participate in an archaic tradition and score in a shooting trial – an unfulfillable challenge for him. The dubious war veteran Kaspar knows this. He convinces the scrivener to meet him at “Wolf’s Glen” at midnight to forge “free bullets” that never miss their target. Max, who does not see any other way out of his unfortunate situation, sells his soul to the devil. What he does not know, though, is that while six of the cursed bullets will hit their target, the seventh is in the devil’s hands …

Since its premiere in 1821, Carl Maria von Weber’s Der Freischütz has been one of the most popular operas in the German speaking area. In the summer of 2024, it is staged on the Seebühne for the first time. Director and stage designer Philipp Stölzl and the Conductor in Residence Enrique Mazzola team up again in Bregenz following the phenomenal success of Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto.

The 2024 Bregenz Festival runs from 17th July to 18th August 2024. For tickets and details visit www.bregenzerfestspiele.com or call 0043 5574 4076.+43 (0)5574 407-6.

Musical Direction Enrique Mazzola, Erina Yashima
Stage Director | Stage Designer Philipp Stölzl
Costume Designer Gesine Völlm

Wired Aerial Theatre
Statisterie der Bregenzer Festspiele
Prager Philharmonischer Chor | Bregenzer Festspielchor
Wiener Symphoniker