Carl Maria von Weber

Der Freischütz WeV C.7

Location of the action: Bohemia, shortly after the end of the Thirty Years War
Duration: full-length

Persons: OTTOKAR, Bohemian prince (T) – CUNO, princely hereditary forester (B) – AGATHE, his daughter (S) – ÄNNCHEN, a young relative (S) – CASPAR, first hunter's boy (B) – MAX, second hunter's boy (T) – SAMIEL, the black hunter (speaking role) – A HERMIT (B) – KILIAN, a rich farmer ((B)Bar)
CHOIR
BRIDESMAIDS (S, A) – HUNTERS and ENTOURAGE (T, T, B, B) – PEASANTS and MUSICIANS (S, A, T, B) – APPARITIONS (S, A, T, B)

For the publication of the work in a form as the composer had in mind, the Urtext edition of Weber's "Freischütz" is based on the three essential authentic components: on Weber's autograph, on the first revised and reliable score print of 1867 (Berlin: Schlesinger) – and above all on Weber's hand copy of the libretto, which has extremely telling deletions and additions for the dialogue passages. And a word about the piano reduction: Gustav Rösler's piano reduction, published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1874, provided a competent, authentic basis that had to be revised in many details and in detail.