Weber/ Brewer/ O'Neill/ London Sym/ Davis - Der Freischutz

Sir Colin Davis conducts the London Symphony Orchestra and chorus and a stellar cast of soloists in a concert performance of Weber's eerily fantastical opera, Der Freischetz. Der Freischetz is heralded as one of the cornerstones of Romantic opera, drawing on traditional German folk tunes and elements of Romanticism for the first time in the history of opera. The evocative and colorful orchestration is particularly impressive in the "Wolf's Glen" scene - long considered the most gruesomely expressive rendering of evil ever found in a musical score. Many listeners may be familiar with this opera without even knowing it; several of the melodies have been adapted as hymn tunes and the overture is regularly performed as a stand-alone work in the concert hall.