Two unusual competitions will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Fort Lewis College Student Union: one’s for singing; the other, sitting.
A singing contest lies at the heart of Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.” It’s the next Met Opera: Live in HD transmission and begins one hour earlier than usual.
The winner of the second competition will be the person or persons who can sit through all six hours. He or she wins not only my personal admiration but a bag of German pretzels.
Fortunately, “Die Meistersinger” is easy Wagner. It consists of three acts: two intermissions and face time with the Chamber of Commerce of Nuremberg.
You’ll time-travel to the 16th century, when German towns had guilds and singing clubs made up of craftsmen and tradesmen. Filled with membership guidelines, rules about attendance and qualifications, plus yearly competitions to prop up town spirit and attract visitors, the singing contests enabled aspiring musicians to master prescribed levels of proficiency and acquire status.
Daringly referred to in some quarters as an epic comedy, Wagner’s only lighthearted opera features awkward practice sessions, snarky judges counting mistakes and, not surprisingly, stirring civic anthems. Over time, “Die Meistersinger” has become the go-to opera for German nationalism. On the dark side, performances found favor throughout the reign of the Third Reich.
Based on historical events and a real master singer, Hans Sachs, a cobbler who lived from 1494 to 1576, the 1868 opera was popular in its time. Later association with Hitler tarnished all that. But the work has survived. A 2007 “American Idol” interpretation conceived by the composer’s great-granddaughter Katharina took place in Bayreuth.
Wagner also wrote the story. Sachs may be the title character, but subplots swirl around a love knot. In Act I, Walther von Stolzing, a young stranger from Franconia, arrives in Nuremberg, sees Eva, the goldsmith’s daughter, and they instantly fall in love. Walther learns that Eva is the prize for an imminent singing contest, so he decides to enter. His practice run goes badly. What does he know about local performance standards? In Nuremberg, one is judged by the mistakes one makes, and Walther makes plenty.
In Act II, Eva consults with the elderly master singer Sachs. She briefly suggests the widower compete, then changes her mind. Sachs compassionately sees her infatuation for Walther and decides to help the young lovers. Another subplot involves a pedantic villain, the perfectionist Sixtus Beckmesser.
At the end of Act II, there’s a town row, and the festival finally takes place in Act III. A triumphal march, which may sound familiar to many, begins the day and the competition, and there’s a happy ending.
The Met is remounting its 1993 production, last seen in 2007. Elaborate architectural sets include the town square, workshop interiors and a meadow outside the walls of the famous medieval city.
The cast is headed by baritone Michael Volle, soprano Annette Dasch and tenor Johan Botha with James Levine conducting.
Wagner, not known as a composer of light musicals, did explore various musical jokes – rehearsal blunders, interruptions, misplaced words and cross-purpose singing. But it’s not Gilbert and Sullivan. It is six hours long, so bring a snack, a thermos and a pillow.
jreynolds@durangoherald.com. Judith Reynolds is a Durango writer, art historian and arts journalist.
If You Go
The Met Opera: Live in HD screening of “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Vallecito Room of the Fort Lewis College Student Union, 1000 Rim Drive. Visit durangoconcerts.com for tickets.
