Arts & Entertainment
 

German magic comes to Moores

UH performance of 'Der Freischütz' to be a first with new translations

Moores Music Notes

Hannah Jackson

If you have ever had a morbid curiosity of wondering what a horror film would look like if the actors suddenly burst forth into song in German, then now is your chance to find out. Der Freischütz is a dark and supernatural opera composed in the early 19th century by Carl Maria von Weber.

Certainly the most famous scene from this opera involves a hunter's trip to Wolf's Glen to make negotiations with a bargainer not known for cheap and easy deals. The Devil requires a bit more than money from this naive haggler, and the hunter's quest for his lost shooting title and the woman he loves is not a cause the Devil feels compassion for. The unfolding story involves magic bullets, heroic rescue, misfired shots, haunted forests and undying love.

When this opera was first performed in 1821, it was a huge success for Weber. Originally, there was spoken dialogue between the musical numbers -- a fad that did not last long in opera. Later Hector Berlioz, a talented contemporary of Weber's, composed musical recitatives for all the sections of spoken dialogue. The revised version was performed in Paris in 1841. Since that time, all the recitatives have been translated from French to German to keep the language consistent. The performances next weekend are believed to be the first performances ever in America to have consistent translations the whole opera through.

Cassandra Black is a first year master's student in the Moores School of Music. On April 3 and 5, Black will sing the role of Agathe, the love interest of the bargaining Max. Black describes Agathe as the pious and spiritual female that always sees the visions of coming evil. Agathe's female friend and counselor, Annchen has a more cheerful outlook on the bad situations and manages to console her saddened friend. Black said that she has enjoyed working in the scenes involving Annchen, played by Kimberly Walker.

Before coming to UH, Black studied vocal performance in California at San Jose State. She has already seen her share of the spotlight here, taking a major role in last fall's Love for Three Oranges opera and performing again this February in Miss Havisham's Fire. Though Black has had high praise for all three operas, she says Der Freischütz music is certainly the most beautiful of the year.

"The music is gorgeous, basically all the stereotypical aspects of opera, without the cheesiness," Black said.

So if you want to see opera at its creepiest, hear music at its loveliest and watch talent as brilliant as ever, then don't miss Der Freischütz. The opera will run April 2 to April 5 with all performances at 7:30 p.m. except for Sunday's 2 p.m. matinee. For information, call (713)-743-3313.

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