“Beyond being a masterpiece, Der Freischütz marks a starting point as one of the first – if not the first – great German Romantic opera.” 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.

Romance, morality, the supernatural and touches of comedy amalgamate in the story of the marksman Max (the ‘freeshooter’ of the opera’s title), who acquires seven magic bullets, forged in the course of a famously spinechilling scene set at midnight in the Wolf’s Glen.

This programme of highlights from Der Freischütz, presented as both a CD and a DVD, was recorded at staged performances at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris in October 2019. Appropriately it opens with the celebrated overture, which provides an exhilarating taste of the opera’s diverse moods and soaring melodies.

In 2019 Equilbey, her Insula Orchestra and Accentus Choir, and a cast led by tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac and soprano Johanni van Oostrum, performed the work in several cities in France and in Germany, the UK and Luxembourg. The staging was in the hands of Clément Debailleul and Raphaël Navarro whose Compagnie 14:20 specialises in ‘nouvelle magie’ – or new magic. Their production made thrilling and innovative use of light, acrobatic movement and video effects. As Le Figaro wrote: “With their ‘magie nouvelle’, Clément Debailleul and Raphaël Navarro have invented an astonishing mode of artistic expression which defies the laws of gravity and leaves the spectator open-mouthed.”

Reviewing the production when it was seen in Ludwigsburg, Opera magazine enthused that “Equilbey’s vibrant conducting was exciting and fresh, a gift to Weber from a true believer.” Laurence Equilbey, pointing out the importance of instrumental colours in Der Freischütz, feels that the period instruments of the Insula Orchestra make a striking difference to the listener’s experience. As befits a piece about hunters, the horn section is prominent in the score. “When played on natural instruments,” she says, “the horn parts can be heard in all their rusticity and majesty – and can acquire a touch of acid when the drama demands it.”

All the singers in the carefully chosen cast were assuming their roles for the first time. “The South African soprano Johanni van Oostrum [as Agathe] is luminous and maidenly, a treasurable singer,” wrote Le Figaro. “Chiara Skerath’s earthier timbre ideally delineates the sassy supporting character [of Ännchen], while Stanislas de Barbeyrac continues his successful move [from Mozart] into Romantic roles … an artist of the first rank evolving in an exciting direction.” As the sinister and persuasive Kaspar, who is in league with the devil, Vladmir Baykov was, in the words of Opera magazine, “ … a commanding presence both physically and vocally”.

The Financial Times summed up the musical qualities of the production in its report on the performance at London’s Barbican Centre. “The central couple were especially noteworthy. Stanislas de Barbeyrac sang Max, the marksman of the title, with just the right amount of strength for Weber’s opera, straddling the elegance of Mozart’s Tamino and the heroism of Wagner’s tenor leads. Johanni van Oostrum brought warmth and lyrical beauty to Agathe’s two contrasting arias ... Laurence Equilbey, the Insula Orchestra’s musical director, provided the pace and a strong sense of direction. The orchestra played well and the French chamber choir Accentus earned its laurels, the men especially in a rousing Huntsmen’s Chorus.”