Wilhelm Furtwängler, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
(Recorded 26th July, 1954, Großes Festspielhaus, Salzburg)
Prince Ottokar — Alfred Poell
Kuno — Oskar Czerwenka
Agathe — Elisabeth Grümmer
Ännchen — Rita Streich
Kaspar — Kurt Böhme
Max — Hans Hopf
Samiel — Claus Clausen
Hermit — Otto Edelmann
Kilian — Karl Dönch
Bridesmaids — Unknown
The production was by Günther Rennert. The stage designs and costumes were by Teo Otto.
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Harold Rosenthal in "Opera" magazine wrote:
"The Salzburg of Toscanini and Bruno Walter has become more and more the Salzburg of Furtwängler, who appears to be regarded by the majority of the festival's visitors as a sort of Demi-god who can do no wrong, and it just "not done" to criticize adversely his performances. Now although this may be the majority view of the audience, the inclusion and performances of "Freischütz" in this year's festival caused the critics and the more musical section of the audience some misgivings about this Furtwängler-worship; especially as the piece was included in the festival, so one is told on good authority, at the conductor's own insistence.
The slowness and heaviness of Furtwängler's reading turned the piece into a very long evening. One feared this was going to be the case from the overture, which Furtwängler treated as if it was not one piece of music but several—the dramatic pause is all very well, but in this case it became an absurdity. The Teutonic gloom with which the evening was shrouded was not helped by the dull grey and green costumes and settings for the first and last scenes by Teo Otto, and the complete absence of colour. Rennert's production was not a good example of this gifted producer's work. The domestic scenes lacked conviction, while the final scene lacked dramatic impact because it was impossible to pin-point the principal characters of the drama, due in the main to sameness of costumes and colour, and the rather bad design of the set.
On the stage by far and away the best singing and acting came from Kurt Böhme, the Caspar. In every role in which I heard this artist during the summer I was most impressed by his musicianship, good taste and dramatic abilities. Elisabeth Grümmer was handicapped, as indeed were most of the cast, by the conductor's very slow tempi, and although she produced some ravishing soft notes during the course of the evening, this was not the Grümmer of two or three years ago. I felt that her voice had suffered from too many Donna Annas during the past year. Rita Streich was a pert little Aennchen, I particularly liked the natural behaviour and affection she showed for Agathe. But the voice seemed to small for the Festspielhaus.
Hans Hopf sang well as Max, but did little to bring the part to life. Otto Edelmann sang the part of the Hermit with quiet dignity. The small parts of Kilian and Ottokar are much better done at Covent Garden, and Samiel, who was got up to look rather like a cross old Father Christmas, and who kept peering out of holes in tree trunks, was not in the least horrific."
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ACT 1:
0:00:00 — Overture
0:11:15 — No. 1: "Viktoria! Viktoria! Viktoria!" (Introduction)
0:20:12 — No. 2: "Oh, diese Sonne" (Trio and Chorus)
0:27:44 — No. 3: Waltz
0:30:03 — No. 3: "Nein, länger trag' ich nicht die Qualen" (Recitative)
0:31:15 — No. 3: "Durch die Wälder, durch die Auen" (Aria)
0:39:48 — No. 4: "Hier im ird'schen Jammertal" (Song)
0:46:39 — No. 5: "Schweig, schweig, damit dich niemand warnt" (Aria)
ACT 2:
0:50:40 — No. 6: "Schelm, halt fest!" (Duet)
0:56:49 — No. 7: "Kommt ein schlanker Bursch gegangen" (Arietta)
1:02:09 — No. 8: "Wie nahte mir der Schlummer" (Scene and Aria)
1:14:08 — No. 9: "Wie? Was? Entsetzen!" (Trio)
1:21:57 — No. 10: "Milch des Mondes fiel aufs Kraut" (Finale)
1:24:59 — No. 10: "Samiel! Samiel! Erschein!" (Finale)
1:29:19 — No. 10: "Ha! Furchtbar gähnt der düst're Abgrund" (Finale)
1:34:04 — No. 10: "Hier bin ich! Was hab' ich zu tun?" (Finale)
ACT 3:
1:40:33 — No. 11: Entr'acte
1:42:45 — No. 12: "Und ob die Wolke sie verhülle" (Cavatina)
1:51:09 — No. 13: "Einst träumte meiner sel'gen Base" (Romance and Aria)
1:58:16 — No. 14: "Wir winden dir den Jungfernkranz" (Song and Chorus)
2:03:56 — No. 15: "Was gleicht wohl auf Erden dem Jägervergnügen?" (Chorus)
2:08:15 — No. 16: "Schaut, o schaut! Er traf die eigne Braut!" (Finale)
2:14:52 — No. 16: "Nur du kannst dieses Rätsel lösen" (Finale)
2:19:15 — No. 16: "Wer legt auf ihn so strengen Bann?" (Finale)
2:25:00 — No. 16: "Die Zukunft soll mein Herz bewähren" (Finale)
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"Der Freischütz" ("The Freeshooter") is an opera in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber, with a German libretto by Friedrich Kind. The libretto is based on a story from the "Gespensterbuch" ("Ghost Book") by Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun. It was first performed at the Schauspielhaus in Berlin on 18th June, 1821, with the composer conducting.
