Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Prelude
2. Act One, Scene One: Da Zu Dir Der Heiland Kam
3. Act One, Scene One: Verweilt! -Ein Wort!
4. Act One, Scene One: Da Bin Ich!
5. Act One, Scene Two: David, Was Stehst?
6. Act One, Scene Three: Fanget An!
7. Act One, Scene Three: Seid Ihr Nun Fertig?
8. Act One, Scene Three: Halt! Meister! Nicht So Geeilt!
9. Act Two, Scene One: Johannistag! Johannistag!
10. Act Two, Scene Two LaB Seh'n, Ob Meister Sachs Zu Haus?
11. Prelude
12. Act Three, Scene One: Gleich Meister! Hier!
13. Act Three, Scene One: Am Jordan Sankt Johannes Stand
14. Act Three, Scene One: Wahn! Wahn! Uberall Wahn!
15. Act Three, Scene Two GruB Gott, Mein Junker!
16. Act Three Scene Four: Die Selige Morgentraum-Deutweise
17. Act Three Scene Five: Sankt Crispin, Lobet Ihn!
18. Act Three Scene Five: Ihr Tanzt? Was Werden Die Meister Sagen?
19. Act Three Scene Five: Silentium! Silentium!
20. Act Three Scene Five: Euch Macht Ihr's Leicht

Disc 2:

1. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 1, scene 3: "Fanget an!"
2. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 1, scene 3: "Seid Ihr nun fertig?"
3. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 1, scene 3: "Halt! Meister! Nicht so geeilt!"
4. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 2, scene 1: "Johannistag! Johannistag!"
5. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 2, scene 2: "Laß seh'n, ob Meister Sachs zu Haus?"
6. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 2, scene 3: "Zeig her! - 's ist gut"
7. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 2, scene 3: "Was duftet doch der Flieder"
8. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 2, scene 4: "Gut'n Abend, Meister!"
9. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 2, scene 4: "Hilf, Gott! Wo bliebst du nur so spät?"
10. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 2, scene 5: "Da ist er!"
11. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 2, scene 5: "Geliebter, spare den Zorn!"
12. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 2, scene 5: "Üble Dinge, die ich da merk'"
13. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 2, scene 6: "Jerum! Jerum!"
14. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 2, scene 6: "Das Fenster geht auf"
15. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 2, scene 6: "Den Tag seh' ich erscheinen"
16. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 2, scene 6: "Mit den Schuhen ward ich fertig schier!"

Disc 3:

1. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3: Prelude
2. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, scene 1: "Gleich, Meister! Hier!"
3. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, scene 1: "Am Jordan Sankt Johannes stand"
4. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, scene 1: "Wahn! Wahn! Überall Wahn!"
5. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, scene 2: "Grüß Gott, mein Junker!"
6. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, scene 2: "Mein Freund! In holder Jugendzeit"
7. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, scene 2: "Morgendlich leuchtend in rosigem Schein"
8. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, scene 3: "Ein Werbelied! Von Sachs? - Ist's wahr?"
9. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, scene 3: "Das Gedicht? Hier ließ ich's"
10. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, scene 4: "Sieh, Evchen!"
11. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, scene 4: "Hat man mit dem Schuhwerk nicht seine Not!"
12. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, scene 4: "Ein Kind ward hier geboren"

Disc 4:

1. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, scene 4: "Die selige Morgentraum-Deutweise"
2. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, Scene 5: "Sankt Crispin, lobet ihn!"
3. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, Scene 5: "Ihr tanzt? Was werden die Meister sagen?"
4. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, Scene 5: "Silentium! Silentium!"
5. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, Scene 5: "Euch macht Ihr's leicht, mir macht Ihr's schwer"
6. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, Scene 5: "Nun denn, wenn's Meistern und Volk beliebt"
7. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, Scene 5: "Das Lied, fürwahr, ist nicht von mir"
8. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, Scene 5: "Morgendlich leuchtend im rosigen Schein"
9. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96: Act 3, Scene 5: "Verachtet mir die Miester nicht"

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #100275 in Music
• Brand: Adam
• Released on: 1999-09-21
• Number of discs: 4
• Formats: Box set, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .92 pounds

Amazon.com essential recording
Despite his disdain for some of the sillier aspects of grand opera, H.L. Mencken once said that Die Meistersinger was the greatest single work of art in Western civilization--and, to many, his hyperbole is forgivable when one contemplates the well-crafted structure of this most human of Wagner's music dramas. Of all recordings of his sole comedy, this one under the baton of Karajan in his prime has perhaps the best-balanced cast. The clear, youthful tones of Donath in the role of Eva must be close to Wagner's ideal for the role, while Adam makes a compassionate Sachs--though not quite as resonant as one would wish. Kollo's impetuous style is appropriate to the character of the love-struck Walther. The orchestral playing has the clarity and transparency that is the trademark of the Karajan approach, perhaps most appropriate in this, Wagner's happiest work. --Christian C. Rix

Customer Reviews

Magnificent festival opera
Die Meistersinger was the first Wagner opera I heard, and of them all it is the most unique. The comic nature of Die Meistersinger is exemplified in the marvelous casting in this recording, chosen well by Karajan. Kollo is perfect for the role of Walther: a fine romantic Heldentenor. Eva (played by Donath) has the perfect charm and tone for the role, and Adam's Sachs is lovable and charming. Schreier's David is just right for the young, animated personality of the apprentice. Magdalena, played by Hesse, has the perfect sound of an "old maid," and Ridderbusch gives Pogner a wonderful fatherly tenderness. Beckmesser most of all is splendid; Evans gave an exemplary performance in the portrayal of Beckmesser's pomposity and awkwardness.

The greatest recording of Die Meistersinger I have yet heard. Kudos!

A shoemaker's reach for the sublime song
On a cold February Sunday afternoon in 1989 I watched an old and wizened man painfully shuffle onto the stage of Carnegie Hall. As he grasped the handrails placed around the podium I smiled nervously in gratitude that his ordeal was over. It was Will alone that forced his baton upwards. Thus began an astounding 90 minutes of music. The Bruckner 8th Karajan conducted that day was his valedictory, his farewell to music: and to the audience, his fellow voyagers, a glimpse of the beyond. A few months later he was dead.

I confess to being a fan of Karajan...the early Karajan of the 1950's through 70's before illness slowed his wand and his unerring vision of orchestral clarity and transparent vocal textures failed. Most of my favorite recorded Opera's of that era are conducted by him. This recording of Meistersinger is evidence of his greatness, if it is evidence you need. Arguments over this singer's aptness or that one's tonal quality are irrelevant when confronted with four and a half hours of matchless sublimity. It is the totality of this performance that recommends it. The slightly guttural sound of the Dresden brasses. The richness of the strings. The Vox Humana woodwinds. All make Wagner's most humane Opera breathe. This orchestra's Central European distinctiveness, slightly coarse and without that sheen the flashier Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics are (justly) famous for, heighten the down-to-earth nature of this Opera. No Gods. No Gold. No powerful jewelry. Just a shoemaker and a nervous song writer.

Theo Adam is not everyone's cup of pilsener. His tone is cruder than I'd like, perhaps. But he's not Wotan. The slight inelegance of his voice enhances his performance. Kollo has always been difficult for me to judge. That reediness that creeps into his voice can annoy me if I'm in a bad mood. A sort-of SpongeBob KolloPants. But then Meistersinger is a comedy. Peter Schreier has always been one of my favorite singers and I find him perfect here. Riderbusch, likewise. Helen Donath makes a fine Wagnerian ingenue. Evans avoids taking his performance of Beckmesser over-the-top. That's not easy. The part almost screams for cheap laughs. No performance detracts from the proceedings.

The real stars, however, are Wagner and Karajan. This is a great Opera. It requires a unifying vision to make it all work. Recordings of this Opera are infrequent. Great ones are rare. This is one of the rare ones. Not a Reference recording but certainly an important one. If you must choose one Meistersinger (of course, true Wagnerians never face that problem), I strongly recommend this recording. The sound is typical EMI of the era: warm and clear with a lifelike three-dimensionality creating a nice illusion of stage space. Of course, if your budget enables you to supplement this record with one or two others, the recent Sawallisch-Heppner effort merits serious consideration. 5 out of 5 stars for a great recording.

Excellent sound
I think the reviewer who complains of Karajan's 'queer and ditry sounds' may be getting confused with his 1951 live Bayreuth recording. This one, recorded in the studio in 1970, has excellent sound for its time, especially in its most recent reissue. Although it's a studio recording, Karajan made long takes with very few remakes, and the resultant atmosphere is almost as good as a live performance. The singers, if not always ideally suited vocally to their roles, are nevertheless excellent as a team with the whole performance adding up to considerably more than the sum of its parts. The one performance with which nobody could quibble is that of Karl Ridderbusch as Pogner: his voice is incredibly beautiful. Helen Donath is rather light and bright-toned for Eva, but she certainly sounds youthful, sings beautifully, and creates a winning character. Neither of the two tenors, Kollo and Schreier, sounds particularly attractive, but Kollo is fresher than he often has been, and is suitably ardent. Schreier brings a lieder singer's attention to words to David's long speech in act one - necessary if the scene isn't to become tedious - and he always excels in this type of role. Geraint Evans has gone for all-out caricature rather than real singing in his portrayal of Beckmesser, which isn't to my taste, but on its own terms it works. Ruth Hesse is a rather stodgy Magdalene, but I suppose that isn't inappropriate. Theo Adam is a likeable Sachs and brings much to the character although, as usual, his tone is narrower than that of many interpreters. I don't find this a problem, although some may. The chorus work is excellent.

With the recording now available at mid price, I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with it.