Weber: the Freischutz Project

"Beyond being a masterpiece, Der Freischütz marks a starting point as one of the first - if not the first - great German Romantic operas." In every sense, conductor Laurence Equilbey makes a powerful case for Carl Maria von Weber's ground-breaking work, premiered in Berlin in 1821 and passionately admired by such figures as Wagner and Berlioz.

The Freischütz Project presents highlights - in both audio and video format - from a performance at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris. It documents a production that Equilbey and her colleagues took to several cities in France and to Germany, the UK and Luxembourg in the course of 2019.

Evoking the supernatural forces that play such a crucial role in the opera were Clément Debailleul and Raphaël Navarro, who specialise in 'nouvelle magie' - or new magic. Their staging made thrilling and innovative use of light, acrobatic movement and video effects.

Joining Equilbey's Accentus Choir and period-instrument Insula Orchestra was a vibrant cast led by tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac as Max (the 'free-shooter' of the opera's title), soprano Johanni van Oostrum as Agathe, Chiara Skerath as Ännchen and Vladmir Baykov as the sinister Kaspar. As Opera magazine wrote: "Equilbey's vibrant conducting was exciting and fresh, a gift to Weber from a true believer."