|
|
|
|
|
Financial Times, Aug 24, 2004 |
David Murray |
von Weber: Der Freischütz, Edinburgh, 17 August 2004
|
Warm celebration of a composer's fruitful life
|
Usher Hall |
|
The Edinburgh Festival is celebrating Carl Maria von
Weber (1786-1826), and the central tribute last week consisted of
concert-performances of his three major operas. Each had a different
conductor, orchestra and large chorus, and a different cast of principals:
an ambitious undertaking, and remarkably successful. Of the three, only
Der Freischütz (1821) is reasonably familiar. It is the Ur-model of German
early-Romantic opera, with its rustics living in a dark forest, rivalry,
occult forces, magic bullets. The casting of those latter in the Wolf's
Glen, accompanied by demonic apparitions, is a famous set-piece.
Here Sir Charles Mackerras and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra lost nothing
of its thrills and chills without the visuals, abetted by threatening
roars from the Philharmonia Chorus. We did miss the black boar who is
meant to crash across the stage while the bullets are poured. But the
well-balanced principals included the heroic Swedish soprano Hillevi
Martinpelto as the heroine Agathe, Ailish Tynan's nicely soubrettish
Annchen, a ringing, virile hero in Munich tenor Jonas Kaufmann, and for
the tempter Kaspar (who has sold his own soul to the devil) the American
John Relyea's bass trombone-tones were formidable but none the less
musical for that.
All in all, this was a performance so strong and brimming with conviction
that we hardly missed the scenery. Weber's easy, original knack with
orchestral colour was made luminous throughout. Though he was never much
of a symphonist, his play with sound-colours is apt, deft and winningly
fresh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|