Top of page

Book/Printed Material Der Freischütz. Der Freyschütze

About this Item

Title

  • Der Freischütz.

Other Title

  • Der Freyschütze

Summary

  • Carl Maria von Weber's opera Der Freyschütz (1820, now called Der Freischütz, literally, "The freeshooter" or "The marksman") is in many respects the prototypical German romantic opera. It was apostrophized as the "first German national opera" even in the composer's lifetime. Weber composed the opera in Dresden during the years 1817 to 1820; the jubilantly acclaimed premiere took place in Berlin on June 18, 1821, and established Weber's German and international fame. The plot is based on a story from Das Gespensterbuch (The book of ghosts) by Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun, a collection of folk tales and ghost stories that was published in 1810. The culminating point of the opera is the famous Wolf's Glen scene, in which all sorts of supernatural apparitions accompany the nightly casting of magic bullets by the young hunter Max, who hopes with their aid to prevail in a shooting competition with a rival. In 1851, Weber's widow presented the autograph of the score to the Prussian king, Friedrich Wilhelm IV, who gave it to what was then the Royal Library (now the Berlin State Library). By purchasing the Weber collection of Friedrich Wilhelm Jähns in 1881, containing much of the estate of Weber that previously was in family custody, the Berlin State Library has come to possess the most extensive and important collection of source material by and about Carl Maria von Weber.

Names

  • Weber, Carl Maria von, 1786-1826 Composer.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 1820.

Headings

  • -  Germany
  • -  1820
  • -  Musical scores
  • -  Operas

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource at: Berlin State Library - Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.
  • -  Content in German.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021668116

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Weber, Carl Maria Von, Composer. Der Freischütz. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, 1820] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021668116/.

APA citation style:

Weber, C. M. V. (1820) Der Freischütz. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021668116/.

MLA citation style:

Weber, Carl Maria Von, Composer. Der Freischütz. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, 1820] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021668116/>.