Search - Carl Maria von Weber, Jean-Paul Penin, Philharmonie de chambre Hongroise :: Weber - Der Freischutz (French version with recitatives by Berlioz) / Penin

One Great Composer Filtered Through Another

James S. Eisenberg | 02/20/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Twenty years after the Berlin premiere of Weber's Der Freischutz, Berlioz composed recitatives for a Paris production of the tremendously popular work. He also orchestrated Weber's piano piece 'Invitation To The Dance' to function as the obligatory opera ballet. (That piece, one of the best known orchestrations ever, is inexplicably omitted from this performance.) The recitatives are examples of Berlioz' finest declamatory writing, and do relatively little damage to Weber's original work.

The whole cast are excellent exemplars of "French Style" and the male soloists could not be better. The women are more problematic. Neither has an attractive voice, and both have problems with some coloratura passages.

The sound recording is first rate, and the Wolf's Glen scene has a wonderfully creepy atmosphere.

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