Anschütz German Opera: Der Freischütz

Event Information

Venue(s):
Academy of Music

Proprietor / Lessee:
East 14th St at the corner of Irving Place Academy of Music

Conductor(s):
Carl Anschütz

Event Type:
Opera

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
25 July 2014

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

11 Dec 1863, Evening

Program Details



Performers and/or Works Performed

1)
aka Der Freischutz; The Freeshooter; Freyschutz
Conductor: Anschütz, Carl
Composer(s): Weber
Text Author: Kind
Participants:  Anschütz German Opera Company;  Marie Frederici (role: Agathe);  Heinrich Steinecke (role: Ottokar);  Theodore Habelmann (role: Max);  Pauline Canissa (role: Aennchen);  Joseph Weinlich (role: Caspar);  Anton Graf (role: Cuno)

Citations

1)
: Strong, George Templeton. New-York Historical Society. The Diaries of George Templeton Strong, 1863-1869: Musical Excerpts from the MSs, transcribed by Mary Simonson. ed. by Christopher Bruhn., 09 December 1863.

“Jean Ruggles dined with us, and we went with Master Johnny to hear Der Freyschutz, by Anschutz's corps at Acad of Music.  Never heard it as well done.  The orchestra did its work magnificently and both Max and Agatha were very respectable, Caspar was fair, Annchen rather feline.  I enjoyed it all intensely.  It's wonderful music.  There's nothing exactly like it, a certain special wild aroma, or game flavor, pervades it all from the first note of the Overture to the last chord of the Finale, which can be found nowhere else to my knowledge, It stands alone, like Fouque's Sintram--a genus and species by itself.”

COMMENT: The date of this diary entry seems to be wrong, since the opera was performed on 12/11, not 12/09. Perhaps Strong entered his comments at a later date and did not remember when he heard the performance.

2)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 10 December 1863.

3)
Announcement: New-York Daily Tribune, 10 December 1863.

4)
Advertisement: New-York Times, 10 December 1863, 9.

5)
Advertisement: New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung und Herold, 10 December 1863.

6)
Announcement: New York Post, 11 December 1863, 2.

7)
Advertisement: New-York Times, 11 December 1863, 7.

8)
Announcement: Courrier des États-Unis, 11 December 1863.

9)
Advertisement: New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung und Herold, 11 December 1863.

10)
Review: New-York Times, 13 December 1863, 5.

 “The Performance of ‘Der Freischutz’ at the Academy of Music, Friday evening, was in many respects the finest ever given in this City.  We have been forced on other occasions when speaking of Mr. Anschutz’s representation, to confine ourselves, in a large measure, to well-merited praise of the orchestra and chorus, but last evening the principal artists distinguished themselves so much, that we refer with peculiar pleasure to their efforts.  Mad. Frederici particularly distinguished herself by a full, varied, and intelligent rendition of the difficult rôle of Agatha. The opening prayer of the second act was rendered most deliciously, and even the awkward and almost impossible quick movement which follows it, was given with vigor and clearness. The Aennchen of Mlle. Canissa was a pretty conception of the part, and the music did not suffer at her hands.  Both these ladies are gifted with fine voices, which, with time, will ripen.  They are sure to become favorites.  Mr. Habelmann, the tenor, sang admirably.  He is a careful artist, with a charming voice, and will also become a favorite.  On the orchestra and chorus we have nothing but unlimited praise to bestow.  Both these important auxiliaries were perfect.  The success of the performance will, we hope, induce Mr. Anschutz to confine himself as much as possible to a purely German repertoire.  By so doing, he can avoid comparative criticism, which in German opera is peculiarly unfair.”

11)
Review: New-York Daily Tribune, 14 December 1863.
“The ever-verdant opera of ‘Der Freischutz,’ which created a musical epoch in romantic, wild, and national air music, was performed on Friday night to an audience improved in numbers over the original statements of paucity and poverty. The upper tiers, 3 and 4, for the Academy boasts several benches aloft, had intensely interested Teutonic faces in it, delighted with their favorite interpreter of the loves, lager and free-shots of Germany. We have never d[illeg.] from our impressions that Weber is the only man who apprehended the genius of a dramatic overture, and although he wrote near 40 years ago, he has not had equal in that department. The brilliant chorus in act 1 [sic] passed off well, the old waltz was fluent [illeg.]. ‘Max,’ through the lips of Herr Habelmann, uttered sweet woes with the red devil behind him, ‘Caspar’ (Herr Weinlich) gave his model drinking song, which is too transcendental for vulgar wear; ‘Agathe’ (Madame Frederici) afforded her model prayer--a lady exciting much approval, and surprising [illeg.…] by her mode of singing--the not very vocal [illeg.] quite the reverse--allegro of the scena.
 
This is the best representation of ‘Der Freischütz’ we have seen in New-York, and ought to be repeated. Every bar of the instrumental work is of full [illeg.] and was beautifully enunciated under the lyrical baton of Herr Anschutz.”
12)
Review: New-York Times, 14 December 1863, 4.
“Mr. Anschutz’s performances, during the past week, were singularly successful in point of artistic effort, but the houses were seldom good. ‘Der Freischutz,’ on Friday evening, was perhaps the best performance of that work ever given in America.”