Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is an opera in three acts, written and composed by Richard Wagner. It is among the longest operas commonly performed, usually taking around four and a half hours. It was first performed at the National Theatre Munich, today the home of the Bavarian State Opera, in Munich, on June 21, 1868. The conductor at the premiere was Hans von Bülow.
The story is set in Nuremberg in the mid-16th century. At the time, Nuremberg was a free imperial city and one of the centers of the Renaissance in Northern Europe. The story revolves around the city's guild of Meistersinger (Master Singers), an association of amateur poets and musicians who were primarily master craftsmen of various trades. The master singers had developed a craftsmanlike approach to music-making, with an intricate system of rules for composing and performing songs. The work draws much of its atmosphere from its depiction of the Nuremberg of the era and the traditions of the master-singer guild. One of the main characters, the cobbler-poet Hans Sachs, is based on a historical figure, Hans Sachs (1494–1576), the most famous of the master-singers.
Cast:
Walther von Stolzing - James King
Eva - Pilar Lorengar
David - Loren Driscoll
Ponger - Ezio Flagello
Beckmesser - Benno Kusche
Hans Sachs - Theo Adam
The Metroplolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus
Thomas Schippers - conductor
Recorded live at the MET January 15, 1972