Der Freischütz at Bregenzer Festspiele

* Notes *
A spectacular new production of Der Freischütz (ovation pictured, photograph by author) opened at the Seebühne of the Bregenzer Festspiele yesterday night. The opera featured an icy town under a huge moon with reimagined spoken dialogue.

Philipp Stölzl's staging created a whole world complete with synchronized swimming, ice skating, and lots of fire. There were some silly bird sound effects and kitschy projections on the moon, but for the most part, there was always something to look at as objects would rise from the partially submerged set. The singers and dancers did an impressive job moving about the stage, it seems like they could easily slipped.

As this took place on Lake Constance, the singers were all amplified and the orchestra, the Wiener Symphoniker, was not even visible expect by simulcast. The music is quite jaunty and fun. It was a little weird that the camera focused often on the finger boards of string instruments, instead of the conductor, Enrique Mazzola.

There was some charismatic performances, Moritz von Treuenfel had an outsized role as Samiel, the Black Huntsman, and brought an intense physicality to this spoken part. He was also darkly funny. Bass Christof Fischesser was suitably sinister as Kaspar, and tenor Thomas Blondelle had a pleasing warmth and baritonal quality as Max.

Strongest of all were the two sopranos,  Hanna Herfurtner was an incisive Ännchen without being shrill and Mandy Fredrich had a beautifully clear but emotionally-charged performance as Agathe.

* Tattling *
This audience was badly-behaved. There was a family of four in Row 32 Seats 302 to 305 who came with another couple that pretty much spoke for the entire two hours. The two males in the group repeated took photographs of the performance even though we had been explicitly told not to at the beginning.

For the most part the talking was fairly quiet at least. It is simply unnerving to be around audience members who don't seem that engaged with such an over-the-top display in such a unique setting. It makes you wonder what would make them stop talking and put their phones down.