Editing Der Freischütz (section)

===Act 1===
At a shooting contest, the second assistant forester, Max, loses to a peasant, Kilian, who is proclaimed "King of marksmen" (Chorus: ''Viktoria! Der Meister soll leben''—"Victory! Long live the master"). Kilian mocks him  good-naturedly (''Schau der Herr mich an als König''—"Let him gaze on me as king").

Max wants to marry Agathe, daughter of the head forester Kuno. In order to marry her and succeed her father as head forester, he has to prove his marksmanship and score in a shooting trial before Ottokar, the sovereign prince, on the following day.

As Max has had ill luck for several days, he muses upon his prospects of losing Agathe by failing the shooting test (Trio of Kuno, Kaspar, and Max; chorus: ''O diese Sonne''—"O this sun"). 
Left alone in deep melancholy, he recalls happy days (Aria: ''Durch die Wälder, durch die Auen''—"Through the forests, through the meadows").

Kaspar, the first assistant forester, falsely tries to imbue Max with wine and courage (''Hier im ird'schen Jammerthal''—"Here in this vale of tears"). He had hoped to marry Agathe himself but she had rejected him and chosen Max. The marriage would make Max the heir of Kuno who would see Max as a son. Kaspar seeks revenge upon all three—his rival, his former sweetheart and her father.{{efn|This motive is omitted in the English translation.}} He hands Max his gun and Max, to his own astonishment, hits an eagle soaring at a great height. Kaspar explains that the gun had been loaded with his last [[Freischütz|magic bullet]].

He persuades Max to meet him at midnight in the terrible Wolf's Glen to cast seven more of the magic bullets. (Six hit, but the seventh belongs to the Evil One who can guide it wherever he pleases.) He warns Max not to tell a soul about their purpose so as not to endanger them. Left alone, Kaspar triumphs and boasts of his insidiousness (Aria: ''Schweig’! damit dich niemand warnt''—"Silence! So that nobody warns you.").