110872-75 bk Wagner US 05|02|2003 10:06 AM Page 12 0 Sachs disclaims the poem and asks if anyone @ Sachs wisely advises him not to spurn the art of the ADD present can sing the song as it should be sung and win Mastersingers, who have preserved true German art, the title of Mastersinger. inherited from court traditions, and will protect it from Great Opera Recordings danger. 8.110872-75 ! Walther steps forward and sings the prize song and is crowned with the garland by Eva, while Pogner offers # All join in praise of German art. Eva takes the him the golden chain of a Mastersinger. Walther, garland from Walther and bestows it on Sachs, who in 4 CDs however, disclaims this honour, desiring happiness turn bestows the golden chain on Walther. All pay WAGNER alone. tribute to Hans Sachs. Keith Anderson Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Otto Edelmann • Elisabeth Schwarzkopf • Hans Hopf • Erich Kunz Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra • Herbert von Karajan Recorded in 1951 Producer’s Note This classic recording of Die Meistersinger was made during a rehearsal and five performances given at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus in July and August of 1951. It was originally taken down on magnetic tape, and was first issued both on LP (from which the present transfer derives) and on 68 sides in the largest set of 78 rpm discs ever devoted to a single work. The original Columbia/EMI recording is problematic in several respects. The splices joining portions taken from different performances are sometimes glaringly obvious; there are occasional dropouts and frequent volume level fluctuations; the voices are caught rather closely, and tend toward harshness in louder passages; and save for the big ensemble pieces (such as the start of the festival scene in Act 3), there is little sense of the unique acoustical qualities of the Festspielhaus which Decca’s engineers caught so well in Knappertsbusch’s contemporaneous recording of Parsifal (Naxos Historical 8.110221-24). In this restoration, I have tried to bring out the warmth that I hear on the original LPs, rather than boost the high frequencies in an attempt to create an illusion of greater presence or immediacy. This approach, I feel, also preserves the rich bass frequencies demanded by the authentic Wagnerian sound. Mark Obert-Thorn 8.110872-75 12 110872-75 bk Wagner US 05|02|2003 10:06 AM Page 2 Great Opera Recordings CD 4 5 As Walther sings, Sachs writes down the words of his song, which moves him greatly, while advising him 1 Sachs calls for the baptism of the new song, Richard of the necessary techniques. They leave to prepare for promoting David from apprentice to journeyman. the coming contest. WAGNER 2 Eva prays for the song’s success, joined by (1813-1983) Scene 3 Walther, while Sachs muses on his own renunciation of Eva, in favour of the young lovers. 6 Beckmesser appears outside the shop, which he Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg quickly enters, limping and suffering from the beating 3 They leave all together for the celebration. Comic Opera in 3 Acts David had given him the night before. Uneasily he limps round the room, recalling the events of the night, Scene 5 and eventually sees the paper on which Sachs has Hans Sachs, cobbler . Otto Edelmann (bass) written Walther’s words, apparently Sachs’ own contest 4 The scene is now an open meadow by a stream, song. Hearing Sachs approach, he puts the paper in his with a raised platform for the Mastersingers and guests. Veit Pogner, goldsmith . Frederick Dalberg (bass) pocket, but then produces it as evidence of Sachs’ The guildsmen enter, first the shoemakers, then the Kunz Vogelgesang, furrier . Erich Majkut (tenor) treachery in intending to compete himself. Sachs denies town musicians, the journeymen, tailors and bakers. Konrad Nachtigall, tinsmith . Hans Berg (bass) the charge and tells Beckmesser he may use the poem, if he wants, assuring him that he will not reveal the true 5 The apprentices, with David, dance around the Sixtus Beckmesser, town clerk . Erich Kunz (baritone) authorship. Beckmesser hurries away, prepared to learn girls, to the sound of the town pipers. Finally the Fritz Kothner, baker . Heinrich Pflanzl (bass) the puzzling words of the poem and, in gratitude, Mastersingers march in, followed by Pogner and Eva. Balthasar Zorn, pewterer . Josef Janko (tenor) promising to vote for Sachs as Marker. Sachs is quietly satisfied with the outcome, musing on the malice 6 The apprentices call for silence, now all have taken Ulrich Eisslinger, grocer . Karl Mikorey (tenor) Beckmesser has shown and his just reward. their places. Augustin Moser, tailor . Gerhard Stolze (tenor) Hermann Ortel, soapmaker . Heinz Tandler (bass) Scene 4 7 Sachs steps forward and all join in singing the chorale Wach’auf! Hans Schwarz, stocking-weaver . Heinz Borst (bass) 7 Eva, richly dressed, enters the shop, seeking to have Hans Foltz, coppersmith . Arnold van Mill (bass) her new shoes adjusted. She is overwhelmed when 8 Sachs addresses the company, thanking them and Walther von Stolzing, a young Franconian knight . Hans Hopf (tenor) Walther enters in his knightly costume. urging the Mastersingers to bear in mind the importance of the prize offered by Pogner, the hand of his daughter. David, Sachs’ apprentice . Gerhard Unger (tenor) 8 Sachs suggest that Walther sing the third verse of Pogner thanks him, while Beckmesser is agitated at the Eva, Pogner’s daughter . Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano) his trial song, while he himself works on the shoes. Eva difficulties of the new poem and seeks Sachs’ support. Magdalena, her nurse . Ira Malaniuk (soprano) is strongly moved, bursts into tears and sinks on Sachs’ The oldest is to begin, and the apprentices lead breast, while Walther seizes his hand in gratitude. Beckmesser to the mound from which he is to perform. A Night Watchman . Werner Faulhaber (bass) He stumbles at first, and there are unflattering 9 Eva thanks Sachs for all he has done for her and comments from the bystanders as to his eligibility as a Bayreuth Festival Chorus (Chorus Master: Wilhelm Pitz) Walther, and Sachs assures her he would never have bridegroom. wished to echo the fate of King Marke, when Tristan Bayreuth Festival Orchestra fell in love with Isolde, the King’s betrothed. 9 Beckmesser embarks on his contest song, which is Herbert von Karajan, conductor Magdalena and David enter the shop, both dressed for so clumsy as to bring only laughter from the assembly. Recorded 27th July and 5th, 16th, 19th, 21st and 24th August, 1951 in the Festspielhaus, Bayreuth the festival. He angrily blames Sachs, before rushing away. First issued on Columbia LX 1465 through 1498 (78 rpm) and 33CX 1021 through 1025 (LP) 8.110872-75 2 11 8.110872-75 110872-75 bk Wagner US 05|02|2003 10:06 AM Page 10 Scene 5 Magdalena and emerges with a cudgel, to deal with the CD 1 70:09 CD 2 73:19 offender. There is general commotion, observed 7 As they leave, Walther appears in the street, seen by secretly by Eva and Walther, as David attacks Act I 70:09 Act I (concluded) 13:28 Eva, to her delight. He tells her of his failure and her Beckmesser. The horn of the approaching night- father’s pledge that she may only marry a Mastersinger. watchman is heard, and Sachs comes out of his shop, Scene 1 1 Fanget an! He recalls his ordeal, as he sang of love, while the seizing the arm of Walther, who has drawn his sword, 1 Prelude 9:11 (Walther, the Masters, Beckmesser, Sachs) 5:35 Mastersingers clung to their traditional rules. He urges and pushing Eva towards her father, who has come out (Orchestra) her to run away with him. The horn of the night- to see what is happening. He pushes David before him 2 Halt! Meister! Nicht so geeilt! 7:52 watchman is heard, and Walther lays his hand on his and draws Walther into his house, while women pour 2 Da zu dir der Heiland kam 3:14 (Sachs, Beckmesser, Nachtigall, Kothner, Pogner, sword, but is calmed by Eva, who tells him to hide for water on the commotion below, in which others have (Congregation) the other Masters) the moment. Magdalena calls her into the house. now joined, so that all is silent again when the night- watchman appears. 3 Verweilt! – Ein Wort! 8:30 Act II 59:52 8 The night-watchman passes, calling ten o’clock. (Walther, Eva, Magdalene, David) Hans Sachs, meanwhile, has overheard the lovers and CD 3 Scene 1 must prevent any elopement. Eva comes out again, Scene 2 3 Johannistag! Johannistag! 3:56 dressed in Magdalena’s clothes, ready to make her Act III 4 David, was stehst? 15:14 (Apprentices, David, Magdalene, Sachs) escape with Walther. Sachs allows a light to shine from (Apprentices, David, Walther) his house onto the couple, who withdraw, but as they 1 The Prelude includes motifs from Sachs’ chorale Scene 2 plan to leave, they are interrupted by the arrival of ‘Wach’auf!’ and from the Cobbler’s Song. Scene 3 4 Lass seh’n, ob Meister Sachs zu Haus? 6:36 Beckmesser. 5 Seid meiner Treue wohl versehen 4:23 (Pogner, Eva, Magdalene, Sachs, David) Scene 1 (Pogner, Beckmesser, Walther, Sachs, 9 Beckmesser is about to start his song, when Sachs Vogelgesang, Nachtigall) Scene 3 allows his light to shine on the street again and starts 2 The scene is in Sachs’ workshop. The cobbler sits 5 Was duftet doch der Flieder 5:44 hammering, at his work, singing his Cobbler’s Song of reading.