"Meistersinger" on DvD

[marvinbrown]

  So Haffner have you decided which Die Meistersinger on DVD you are going to buy?  It's never easy to choose when there are so many recordings on the market  .  I went through hell trying to pick one a few years ago and eventually settled on the Levine MET recording. 

  marvin

 

[Haffner]

  So Haffner have you decided which Die Meistersinger on DVD you are going to buy?  It's never easy to choose when there are so many recordings on the market  .  I went through hell trying to pick one a few years ago and eventually settled on the Levine MET recording. 

  marvin

 

I eventually want the Levine, but I think I will start with the Bayreuth production, keeping in mind its treatment of Beckmesser as being different to how Wagner wanted it. Unless you are most strongly reccomending the Levine, Marvin. In that case, I'd probably relent.

[uffeviking]

Both of them are good choices - if you want to stay with the crowd! Andy, I thought you are different and not afraid to explore the sideroads, like the Meistersinger from the Zürich Opera with Franz Welser-Möst conducting a superb cast: José Van Dam, Peter Seiffert, Matti Salminen, and Michael Volle.  No, don't fear, no concept production; everybody is wearing historical clothes and the sets are traditional too. 

[uffeviking]

José Van Dam:

[marvinbrown]

I eventually want the Levine, but I think I will start with the Bayreuth production, keeping in mind its treatment of Beckmesser as being different to how Wagner wanted it. Unless you are most strongly reccomending the Levine, Marvin. In that case, I'd probably relent.

  Haffner,  just for the record, I am not strongly recommending the Levine-  as much as I love it I feel I have no right to strongly recommend it as I have not seen many productions of Die Meistersinger.  That said if you do settle on the Bayreuth production please write a review  .

  marvin 

[Haffner]

Both of them are good choices - if you want to stay with the crowd! Andy, I thought you are different and not afraid to explore the sideroads, like the Meistersinger from the Zürich Opera with Franz Welser-Möst conducting a superb cast: José Van Dam, Peter Seiffert, Matti Salminen, and Michael Volle.  No, don't fear, no concept production; everybody is wearing historical clothes and the sets are traditional too. 

WHOA! Van Damme and Salminen? I've GOT to find this one.

[BachQ]

I eventually want the Levine, but I think I will start with the Bayreuth production, keeping in mind its treatment of Beckmesser as being different to how Wagner wanted it.

prove it .......

[Haffner]

prove it .......

I can't, I was told earlier in this forum that was the case. I've never seen "Meistersinger", only listened to the old Solti recording and one other.

[uffeviking]

He could read the composer's stage instructions, or read up on it in Robert Newman's book, or better yet: You  could read those two sources! 

[uffeviking]

My post is in reply to dm's post. No confusion please on who said what! 

[BachQ]

He could read the composer's stage instructions, or read up on it in Robert Newman's book, or better yet: You  could read those two sources! 

As soon as I locate one of my several copies of Robert Newman's book, I shall be sure to read up on this .........

[Haffner]

He could read the composer's stage instructions, or read up on it in Robert Newman's book, or better yet: You  could read those two sources! 

Now I'm wondering if I should break out the Newman book before I watch the opera, rather than during (my standard practice).

[Haffner]

As soon as I locate one of my several copies of Robert Newman's book, I shall be sure to read up on this .........

Dmitri, if you don't have Newman's book (not saying you don't), you would probably like it. Actually them, since all of his books on Wagner have soemthing going for them.

[marvinbrown]

Dmitri, if you don't have Newman's book (not saying you don't), you would probably like it. Actually them, since all of his books on Wagner have soemthing going for them.

  Alright let's put this issue to bed once and for all. I hold before me the libretto to Die Meistersinger and here are the stage instructions immediately after Beckmesser messes the song up and up to his exit:

   

      (Here all burst into a peal of loud laughter. Beckmesser furiously and hastens to Sachs)
 
   Beckmesser sings:
   Damned cobbler! Its you I thank for that
   The song is not by me at all:
   By Sachs, who is so highly revered here
   by your Sach's it was given to me
   The disgracefull fellow has bullied me
   palmed off his dreadful song on me.

  (He rushes away furiously and disappears into the crowd)

    Now to me Wagner never intended for Sach's to make up with Backmesser so Wolfgang Wagner has gone too far with his alterations.  Plus I do not consider this as being "laughed off the stage". 


  marvin 

[BachQ]

Dmitri, if you don't have Newman's book (not saying you don't), you would probably like it. Actually them, since all of his books on Wagner have soemthing going for them.

Would you believe me if I told you that all of my numerous copies are currently loaned out to friends? ......... 

[(poco) Sforzando]

prove it .......

I took three posts in this thread to do just that.

BTW, it's Ernest Newman, not Robert.

[uffeviking]

  Alright let's put this issue to bed once and for all. I hold before me the libretto to Die Meistersinger and here are the stage instructions immediately after Beckmesser messes the song up and up to his exit:

Thank you, Marvin for answering all those questions and for taking the trouble of looking it up in the libretto, the 'Horse's Mouth' - and we didn't even need Robert - Ernest! 

[Anne]

I took three posts in this thread to do just that.

BTW, it's Ernest Newman, not Robert.

Thank you, Sforzando.  Glad you were here when we needed you.  Much appreciated.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Plus I do not consider this as being "laughed off the stage". 

Not that I really want to pursue this, but what else could it possibly mean? The man has been shown up as an incompetent, self-deluding fool in front of all his peers and the entire city. Do you think he's going to hang around waiting for his rival to finish singing the Prize Song, and then come back to make small talk and share a stein of beer with his fellow Meisters?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Not that I really want to pursue this, but what else could it possibly mean? The man has been shown up as an incompetent, self-deluding fool in front of all his peers and the entire city. Do you think he's going to hang around waiting for his rival to finish singing the Prize Song, and then come back to make small talk and share a stein of beer with his fellow Meisters?

Well put. I am not the only one to find Wagner's 'humour' a bit cruel (also think of the Wanderer toying with Mime, in Siegfried). I love Wagner. He was no saint, though, 'only' one of the greatest composers.