"This recording best captures the earthy, woodsy, murky atmosphere of the opera. Elisabeth Gruemmer's "Und ob die Wolke sie verhuelle" with its cello obligato goes at the slowest imaginable tempo, and is simply gorgeous. The rest of the singing is of very high calibre, and the orchestra and conducting unmatched even by the very fine Janowitz/Kleiber version on DG. The sound of the latter is of course better, but the sound here is very good, and the music may benefit from its feeling of dark shadows and deep forests."
Freischuetz with drama, atmosphere, and beauty
07/01/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Highly recommended for fans of German opera and sell-your-soul-to-the-devil stories. This is a particularly good recording for anyone who wants to hear Der Freischuetz as musical drama. The German diction in the arias and dialogues is clear throughout, and Furtwaengler gives you time to let the dramatic and musical high points sink in. Elisabeth Gruemmer as Agathe and Rita Streich as Aennchen are both in gorgeous, silken voice. Karl Boehm is a forceful Kaspar, roaring and menacing. Hans Hopf as Max is the weakest of the main characters; it takes some close listening to warm up to him. But a Max whom Kaspar can dominate fits the drama well enough. Excellent chorus in an opera where the chorus is part of the action. More modern recordings may have better sound, but not better music or drama."