Der Freischütz

To marry his beloved Agathe, Max, a young hunter, has to prove his skills in a sharp-shooting contest.  And only if he marries Agathe can he succeed her father Kuno in the hereditary position of forester. Because has had a run of bad luck, Max in desperation puts his trust in the shady Kaspar – who had previously asked for Agathe’s hand in marriage himself.

Max follows Kaspar into the Wolf’s Ravine in order to cast seven magic bullets at midnight. What he doesn’t know is that Kaspar has made a pact with the devil. To prolong his own life, he offers Max, Agathe and Kuno as victims. The devil agrees – and the seven magic bullets are cast. The catch is that while six of the bullets will hit their target, the seventh is directed by the devil.

Carl Maria von Weber hit the bull’s eye with DER FREISCHÜTZ, which subsequently became the blueprint for German Romantic opera. Acclaimed at its premiere in 1821, its popularity continues undiminished to this day – the work has an assured place in the repertoire of German opera houses. Following the huge success of FIDELIO and THE RISE AND FALL OF THE CITY OF MAHAGONNY, director Volker Lösch is now staging DER FREISCHÜTZ at Theater Bonn in an updated and revised version.