Richard Ward's artistic heir, Jeremy, has begun his countdown to his first piece as an opera director. The show is schedule to open March 5th, a little under a month away, and the Ward heir has kept quiet about the event.
The Opera arranged a press release Monday morning stating that young Ward has chosen the German Opera Der Freischüt, roughly translated as “The Marksman” or “The Freeshooter”. Der Freischütz was written by Carl Maria von Weber with libretto by Freidrich Kind. The piece helped put German opera on the map in the early 1800s, especially in the face of the ever popular Italian operas. This piece is especially known for its romantic, emotional undertones and is based on German folk tales and songs, bordering on the supernatural. Ward junior, who received his Masters degree in Romantic Literature at the University of Aberdeen in England, may be drawn to such style because of his educational background. Jeremy Ward offered no comment on his choice.
Opera fans young and old, especially followers of father Richard's work, have been waiting on the edge of their seat regarding the upcoming Ward family member. Many appreciated Richard's personal twists which offered commentary on current social, political and cultural trends and made opera feel more modern and relevant. Louise Edmundson, who has been a member of the Metropolitan Opera for the past thirty years, expects that “Ward senior has passed on not only his passion but also his talent for the art form. After all, my own membership is thanks to Richard, whose early pieces helped me fall in love with opera.”
Meanwhile, toy company Mattel has received costume blueprints from the Metropolitan Opera and plan to release a series of dolls the week before Der Freischütz opens.
