BACKGROUND TO… Weber’s Der Freischütz

Largely recognised as the first really important German Romantic opera,(The Marksman) is based on August Apel’s tale of the same name – taken from the of ghost stories. It follows a young marksman who sells his soul for magic bullets that will help him win a shooting contest and the hand of the woman he loves. Weber’s opera was an enormous success following its premiere at Berlin’s Schauspielhaus in June 1821. Indeed, London saw four different productions staged at the same time in 1824.