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DER FREISCHUeTZ.

Romantic Opera in three acts by C. M. VON WEBER.

Text by FRIEDRICH KIND.

This charming opera done at Dresden 1820, is the most favored of
Weber's compositions. It is truly German, being both fantastic and
poetic. The libretto is an old German legend and runs thus:

A young huntsman, Max, is in love with Agathe,' daughter of Cuno, the
chief-ranger of Prince Ottocar of Bohemia. Max woos her, but their
union depends on a master-shot, which he is to deliver on the following
morning.

During a village-festival he has all day been unlucky in shooting, and
we see him full of anger and sorrow, being mocked at by peasants, more
lucky than he.

His comrade, Caspar, one of the ranger's older huntsmen is his evil
genius. He has sold himself to the devil, is a gloomy, mysterious
fellow, and hopes to save his soul by delivering some other victim to
the demon. He wants to tempt Max to try enchanted bullets, to be
obtained at the cross-road during the midnight-hour, by drawing a magic
circle with a bloody sword and invoking the name of the mysterious
huntsman. Father Cuno, hearing him, drives him away, begging Max to
think of his bride and to pray to God for success.

But Max cannot forget the railleries of the peasants; he broods over
his misfortunes and when {99} he is well-nigh despairing, Caspar, who
meanwhile calls Samiel (the devil in person) to help, encourages him to
take refuge in stimulants. He tries to intoxicate the unhappy lover by
pouring drops from a phial into his wine. When Max has grown more and
more excited, Caspar begins to tell him of nature's secret powers,
which might help him. Max first struggles against the evil influence,
but when Caspar, handing him his gun, lets him shoot an eagle, soaring
high in the air, his huntman's heart is elated and he wishes to become
possessed of such bullet. Caspar tells him that they are enchanted and
persuades him to a meeting in the Wolf's-glen at midnight, where the
bullets may be moulded.

In the second act Agathe is with her cousin Aennchen. Agathe is the
true German maiden, serious and thoughtful almost to melancholy. She
presents a marked contrast to her gay and light-hearted cousin, who
tries to brighten Agathe with fun and frolic. They adorn themselves
with roses, which Agathe received from a holy hermit, who blessed her,
but warned her of impending evil. So Agathe is full of dread
forebodings, and after Ae