on the seaside stage - Bregenzer Festspiele show Weber's "Freischuetz"
Belcanto means beautiful singing and is particularly associated with Italian operas. The Bregenzer Festspiele will show this year how beautiful operatic singing in German sounds: "Der Freischütz" by Carl Maria von Weber is set to attract audiences to the famous Seebühne am Bodensee starting from the coming week. The piece is reportedly making its debut at the roughly four-week festival in Bregenz.
The Production
The scenery for this production can also be seen. On the Bodensee, a half-submerged village has emerged - with snow-covered huts, bare trees, and a giant moon. The play on the lake changes every two years. "I am almost euphoric about the first performance," said Intendant Elisabeth Sobotka, looking at the new production.
Philipp Stölzl is responsible for the production, who is known as a theater director and filmmaker ("Nordwand") and has already successfully staged Giuseppe Verdi's "Rigoletto" (2019/21) on the Seebühne. "I have wanted to stage this opera here since I first came to Bregenz," he said, looking at the new production. It's a magical-poetic world created for a romantic ghost story.
The Story
As with operas in general, a love story is at the heart of Weber's "Der Freischütz" (1821). The piece takes place in Bohemia, shortly after the end of the Thirty Years' War. The protagonist Max yearns for an marriage with Agatha, the daughter of an estate owner. To win her hand, the inexperienced marksman must pass a shooting test. To do this, he makes a pact with the devil. Will the pair overcome this deal?
"In this Opera, which is actually half a spoken theater, many things will penetrate and condense," says Stölzl. Often, the pieces have a tragic ending. In the case of "Der Freischütz," there are both versions. The director did not want to reveal whether a happy ending awaits the pair in the Bodensee version.
Belcanto for Advanced Students
The musical direction will be taken over by the Barcelona-born conductor Enrique Mazzola. He is known as an expert in Belcanto operas. "Der Freischütz" has many Belcanto moments, explained Mazzola. It was not only a stylistic device for Italian operas, as Weber showed. The challenge in German opera is to transform the more rigid language into a beautiful long melody.
Not Sold Out Yet
Whether they have succeeded can be heard and seen by the audience starting from this Wednesday. The start signal for the festivals falls on July 17. In the five festival weeks until August 18, the organizers expect more than 200,000 female and male visitors.
The performances are not yet sold out. "85 percent of the tickets are currently booked, especially for the August performances of 'Der Freischütz' are still available," explained the commercial director Michael Diem.
Opera Thriller "Tancredi" in the Festspielhaus
In addition to "Der Freischütz," Rossini's "Tancredi" will be shown this year - Premiere is on July 18 in the Festspielhaus Bregenz. In total, there will be more than 80 events, including theater performances and orchestra concerts.
The Bregenzer Festspiele attract 63 percent of their guests primarily from Germany. The other visitors come from Austria (23 percent), Switzerland and Liechtenstein (11 percent), and the rest of the world (3 percent).
- The Bregenzer Festspiele, located in Bregenz, Austria, is renowned for showcasing beautiful operatic singing, even in German, as demonstrated by their upcoming production of "Der Freischütz" by Carl Maria von Weber.
- The Bodensee, near Bregenz, will host the Seebühne am Bodensee, where the Bregenzer Festspiele will stage "Der Freischütz," drawing audiences from Monday onward.
- The joint production of "Der Freischütz" and the Bregenzer Festspiele is headed by Philipp Stölzl, a renowned theater director and filmmaker who has previously staged Giuseppe Verdi's "Rigoletto" on the Seebühne.
- Although "Der Freischütz" takes place in Bohemia and features a tragic love story, the Bregenz production by Philipp Stölzl is described as a magical-poetic world, leaving open the possibility of a happy ending.
- Conductor Enrique Mazzola, known for his expertise in Belcanto operas, will lend his musical direction to "Der Freischütz," noting the Belcanto moments present in the opera and the challenge of transforming German into Belcanto-style long melodies.
- Even with more than 200,000 attendees expected over the festivals' five-week run, many tickets for the various performances, including "Der Freischütz" and Rossini's "Tancredi," remain available.
- The Bregenzer Festspiele attract a majority of their guests from Germany (63 percent), with the remaining attendees hailing from Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and other parts of the world.
