The Royal Opera House presents an unusual yet very welcome gift for the festive season: Richard Wagner’s midsummer comedy Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. The colour, characters and vibrant life of medieval Nuremberg are at the heart of this glorious opera and Graham Vick’s popular production, last staged by The Royal Opera in 2002. This revival is an opportunity to hear one of the highlights of the entire opera repertory, with a fine cast and the full forces of the Royal Opera Chorus and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House under the direction of Music Director Antonio Pappano.

The entire community of Nuremberg is the setting for the story of challenges and triumphs – of art and of the heart – with Eva and Walther at the centre, under the encouragement of Hans Sachs. Wagner’s music is in turns dramatic, reflective, energetic and sublime, with a conclusion that is as musically overwhelming as it is emotionally uplifting. Philosophy and art, love and wit: Die Meistersinger creates one of the most complete and satisfy worlds of any opera.
Click here for more information and performance dates http://www.roh.org.uk/whatson/production.aspx?pid=17606.

The Opus Arte catalogue features Katharina Wagner’s (Richard’s great-granddaughter’s) production of Die Meistersinger [http://www.opusarte.com/en/die-meistersinger-von-nurmberg-blu-ray.html] from the Bayreuther Festspiele, the festival the composer founded himself in 1876 to present his work in exemplary productions. Christian Thielemann, one of the greatest Wagner interpreters of our time, conducts. The ongoing collaboration with the Bayreuth Festival has so far resulted in DVD and Blu-ray releases of Tristan und Isolde [http://www.opusarte.com/en/wagner-tristan-und-isolde-bayreuth-blu-ray-disc.html] and Die Walküre [http://www.opusarte.com/wagner-die-walkure-bayreuth.html], as well as a CD release of the entire Der Ring des Nibelungen [http://www.opusarte.com/en/wagner-der-ring-des-nibelungen-bayreuth-cd-box-ad8d.html] conducted by Thieleman.

Available from the Opus Arte website are audio recordings of Die Meistersinger including the classic Karajan version with Theo Adam as Hans Sachs [http://www.opusarte.com/en/wagner-die-meistersinger-von-n-cefa.html] and the Eugen Jochum recording starring Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau [http://www.opusarte.com/en/wagner-die-meister.html].