Albert Lortzing's (1801-1851) play opera was premiered in Leipzig in 1842 and boasts a wealth of melodies, wit and speed. Confusion, seduction and a game of billiards in the dark get the people in the village and castle all mixed up ...
Schoolmaster Baculus and his bride Gretchen have invited guests to their wedding reception. The mood is suddenly clouded by the news that the teacher has been dismissed with immediate effect for poaching in the Count of Eberbach's woods. Baculus had indeed followed Gretchen's advice and gone hunting without permission in order to enrich the feast. And he has been caught red-handed. Gretchen now wants to beg for mercy from the count herself, but the jealous groom does not want to let her go, as the lord of the village is considered a womanizer. A daring student comes to the rescue and agrees to go to the castle dressed as a girl and play the role of the bride. The fact that a baroness is actually behind the double disguise and that Baculus' hunting prey is not a roebuck at all is one of the many mix-ups in Wildschütz.
Premiere October 15, 2023
Further performances: October 20 and 28, December 3, 2023, April 14 and 28, May 1 and 10 and June 6, 2024
