Carl Maria von Weber - Der Freischütz - Janowitz, Mathis, Schreier - Carlos KleiberJanowitz · Mathis · Schreier · Adam · Crass · Vogel · Weikl · Leib
Rundfunkchor Leipzig · Dresden
Carlos Kleiber
Among a clutch of fine recordings . . . none has quite matched Carlos Kleiber's 1973 version, both for its cast and its brilliant realisation of Weber's wonderfully atmospheric orchestral textures. Ever suspicious of "tradition", Kleiber went back to the composer's manuscript and unearthed countless new details, such as the shimmering haze of muted violins in Agathe's invocation to the moonlit night, "Leise, leise". With the magnificent Dresden orchestra -- not least its baleful battery of horns -- on incandescent form, the infernal Wolf's Glen has a chilling cumulative intensity. Elsewhere Kleiber is equally attentive to the opera's rustic charm and its louring or glittering diablerie, with Theo Adam relishing the cruelty and gleeful cynicism of the evil Kaspar. The celestial-toned Gundula Janowitz suggests both the womanly tenderness and reserves of strength in the heroine Agathe. Edith Mathis is delightful, without coyness, as her flirtatious cousin Aennchen, while Peter Schreier brings a Lieder-singer's subtlety to his portrayal of the anguished Max. Record Review / Richard Wigmore, Daily Telegraph (London) / 13. October 2007
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