Carl Maria von Weber was born
in Eutin (in what is now northern Germany )
on 18th November 1786 and died in London
Der Freischütz dates from 1821,
when "Gothic" was all the rage. This was the age of Frankenstein and
the sort of nonsense that Jane Austen satirised so brilliantly in
"Northanger Abbey". Before the days of Stephen King and "Friday
the 13th", this was the sort of thing that made the flesh creep.
Act 1. The estate of Ottakar, Duke of Bohemia
A new head ranger must be
chosen, because Kuno is ready to retire. The candidates are Kilian, a peasant,
and Max, who is in love with Agnes, Kuno's daughter. The usual application and
interviewing procedure has been set aside, and the winner will be chosen
courtesy of a sharp-shooting contest. Max is disappointed to find that Kilian
is proving to be the better shot.
Caspar, who has sold his soul
to the Devil, as one does, promises Max that he can supply him with magic
bullets that cannot possibly miss. Caspar invites Max to try his own gun, with
which he brings down a high-flying eagle. Max is convinced, and agrees to buy
seven magic bullets for the going rate, namely his soul. The deal will be struck
in the Wolf's Glen at midnight.
Act 2, Scene 1. Agnes's room
A bit of time-shifting goes on
here, because this scene takes place at the same time as Max's meeting with
Caspar. Agnes is very worried about the shooting contest, because she has met a
hermit in the forest who has warned her that all is not well. She and her
friend Anna are startled when a portrait falls off the wall at the same instant
that Max tries Caspar's magic bullet. Max then arrives to tell her that he has
an appointment at the Wolf's Glen.
Scene 2. The Wolf's Glen
Given all the build-up, this
has to be worth waiting for, and it is! Caspar is in conversation with Zamiel,
an evil spirit, and boasts that he has found a new soul-seller. Caspar hopes
that this deal will be enough to save him from his own fate. When Max arrives,
the bullets are cast one by one. However, what Max does not know is that,
although six of the bullets will work as he wishes, the seventh is the Devil's
bullet which will hit whatever target Zamiel desires.
Act 3, Scene 1. Agnes's room
Agnes is preparing for her
wedding with Max, but her sense of foreboding is reinforced when she finds that
the florist has apparently made a terrible mistake and sent a funeral wreath
instead of a bridal bouquet. Well, it's not the best of omens, is it? It's
enough to give any girl a nasty turn. Fortunately, the hermit she met in the
woods has not forgotten her, and has sent a proper bridal wreath. Keep an eye
on it, as it could just come in handy later on.
Scene 2. In the Duke's forest
The sharp-shooting contest is
in progress, and Max is astonishing all the onlookers by his skill. He has
fired six of his bullets and only has one left (the Devil's bullet, remember?).
The Duke orders him to shoot at a dove that is flying overhead. Max does so,
but Agnes, in her wedding finery, screams and falls to the ground. However, all
is not lost, because she has only fainted and recovers quickly. Why is this so,
you may well ask? Or you won't, because this is the world of opera and you
haven't forgotten about the hermit's wreath, have you? Needless to say, the
hermit's blessing is stronger than the power of the Devil and the bullet has
been turned aside. Good job she remembered to bring the wreath with her to the
shooting match.
Zamiel, cheated of his prey,
now seizes on Caspar and takes him off to Hell. The Duke learns the full story
from Max, who confesses everything. His punishment is that he must wait a year
for both the job and his bride. So the wedding's off. Personally, I feel sorry
for young Kilian, who didn't cheat and doesn't get the job either (the
assumption is that Kuno will carry on for another year). I reckon he's got a
good case for an industrial tribunal, myself.
© John Welford
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