Is this arguably the greatest recorded performance of Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg of all time? No, the conductor is probably too individualistic for some tastes and the Walter is surely too pathetic for most tastes. Is this Meistersinger nevertheless still well worth hearing by fans of Wagner's comedy who already know and love the work? Under those conditions, yes, because this is, after all, a historically significant recording with a number of extremely attractive features. It is, after all, the first ...
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Is this arguably the greatest recorded performance of Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg of all time? No, the conductor is probably too individualistic for some tastes and the Walter is surely too pathetic for most tastes. Is this Meistersinger nevertheless still well worth hearing by fans of Wagner's comedy who already know and love the work? Under those conditions, yes, because this is, after all, a historically significant recording with a number of extremely attractive features. It is, after all, the first performance of the work given by the Wiener Staatsoper after the war -- on November 14, 1955, to be exact -- and it returned to the Viennese their favorite festival opera under festival conditions. The enthusiasm of the audience is palpable and the warm applause in Act Three is so prolonged it almost halts the opera. Among the performance's most attractive features is Paul Schöffler's deeply considered interpretation of the central role of Hans Sachs. Also superb are Gottlob Frick's Pogner,...
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