“I’m not German enough for this.” This was my singular thought as I watched Der Freischütz at the Bayerische Staatsoper.
I went in excited. This is supposedly an often-performed opera on the German stage, so surely I was in for something special. Instead, I walked out convinced I just didn’t get it. I’m blaming director Dmitri Tcherniakov.
Weber’s opera follows Max, a young hunter who has to pass a marksmanship test to marry his sweetheart Agathe. His friend Kaspar has a solution: magic bullets that never miss, spelled in a ritual in the Wolf’s Glen. Tcherniakov drops all of this into the wood-paneled penthouse of a corporate headquarters, where Agathe’s father is now a business magnate. Max’s test becomes shooting a random passerby on the street far below, shown on video, and Kaspar is a former soldier with PTSD who believes he is the demon Samiel.
A lot of this felt like shock for shock’s sake, especially the videos of people being shot. In a country like Germany, where guns are far less common, it felt excessive. And the corporate setting? Hated it. I want more whimsy in my opera, not a glossy office. Also, if your concept needs a film during the overture to explain who everyone is, it isn’t working.
I was not the only one who felt this way. I don’t speak German, but the disgusted tone of the conversation between the elderly German couple next to me was pretty clear, given they got up and left. Actual booing is rare at an opera, but this production definitely hit that bar.
In fairness, there were some bright spots: bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen was fantastic as Kaspar/Samiel. He was suave and polished in the corporate scenes, then completely unhinged in the Wolf’s Glen, all knives and mad voices. His acting was fully physical and convincing as someone with PTSD. He never tipped into farce, which is harder than it sounds in this production.
By the end, all the characters on that stage needed therapy. Maybe the audience did too.
Opera: Der Freischütz
Composer: Carl Maria von Weber
Venue: Bayerische Staatsoper
Date: July 29, 2026
Link: https://www.staatsoper.de/en/productions/der-freischuetz/2026-07-29-1900-15719
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