Der Freischuetz

Approximate Running Times: Doors: 6:30pm Duration: 2 hours and 20 minutes, including interval Sung in German. In September, the Palais hosts Die Freischütz, Carl Maria von Weber's landmark Romantic opera. A cornerstone of the German repertoire, it combines dark, gothic atmosphere with extraordinary orchestration and unforgettable vocal writing. This new production, created in collaboration with ANAM and conducted Chad Kelly, will showcase a cast of outstanding Australian singers, including many returning from Europe. Designed by Richard Roberts with lighting by Gavan Swift and directed by myself, it will offer a thrilling, immersive theatrical experience. It has not been seen in Melbourne since 2015, and its return is sure to attract opera lovers from far and wide, especially Wagnerites. Across the year, the thread remains the same: Opera as a shared experience, as emotional truth, as spectacle, and as something as close as we can get to real 'magic'. .