Richard Wagner initially conceived "Die Meistersinger" as a satyr play to his opera "Tannhäuser" but later realized it would not work in that capacity.
Composition History
Wagner sketched out "Die Meistersinger" in 1845 in Marienbad, Bohemia, but then put it aside for 16 years before resuming work on it in 1861.
Recording & Production
This album is a live recording of a concert performance of Richard Wagner's opera "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" that took place in the Berlin Philharmonie on June 3, 2011.
Historical Context
In the mid-16th century, Nuremberg, where the opera is set, was Germany's third largest town with about 30,000 residents and a thriving trade center.
Critical Reception
Since its 1868 premiere, "Die Meistersinger" has often been subject to ideological misinterpretations, either underestimated as a simple comedy or exaggerated as a nationalistic symbol.
Compositional Technique
Wagner's opera uses pseudo-Bach-like and Baroque stylistic elements, embedding them in a monumental musical entourage to portray German men with distinguished insignia.
Composer Biography
The character of Hans Sachs in the opera was significantly transformed by Wagner in 1861, incorporating the cobbler-poet's love for Eva Pogner, as a way for Wagner to cope with his own loss of Mathilde Wesendonck.
