Known more for his
interest in Czech music and Handel,
Sir Charles Mackerras at the helm of
Wagner’s almighty Meistersinger
might rise an eyebrow or two. But Mackerras
has routinely demonstrated his dramatic
grasp in Janáček, so no surprise
that he has a handle (no pun intended)
on his Wagner. This is an interesting,
very well performed Meistersinger
with reliable singers and in a staging
that, as shall be seen, never disturbs
while never really posing any questions
nor illuminating any areas: no aliens,
no post-nuclear landscapes, just a very
brown Nuremberg.
The insertion of various
pictures of old Nuremberg over which
are pasted stills of the cast during
the course of the Overture is questionable
– it is interesting enough, surely,
to watch Sir Charles expertly navigate
his players through the score (and certainly
more involving). The second the chorus
enters with its chorale (in that compositional
master-stroke), it becomes obvious this
is a fairly small set - how are they
going to fit everyone in at the end
of Act III was my immediate concern!.
Yet space is here, as elsewhere, intelligently
utilised. Colour-wise, the production
is, as noted above, filled with various
browns – not very inspiring, one may
think, yet there is a sepia-tinge to
it all that inspires a kind of fond
nostalgia in the viewer.
Bass-baritone Sir Donald
McIntyre has impeccable Wagnerian credentials
(he took the role of Wotan at Bayreuth
in the (in)famous Boulez/Chéreau
Ring). He portrays a very human
Sachs – both in his universal warm-heartedness
and also in his very human ability to
love. He seems, curiously, rather thin
for this figure (I always imagine Sachs
as some sort of semi-cuddly-yet-firm-when-need-be
favourite uncle). But that the music
is in him is not to be doubted. One
can only admire his ‘Jerum! Jerum!’
(great pitching). His Fliedermonolog,
though, is ever so slightly rushed.
The impression is that this is him applying
the accelerator, not Mackerras, although
this could be mistaken (as it is definitely
Mackerras who pushes on in Act I Scene
3 as Walther tries his hand at a Prize
Song; also Pogner’s ‘Johannistag’ speech
in the same scene). Some of McIntyre’s
very top notes show the tone thinning,
but his dignity remains unruffled. By
Act III his interpretation is at its
height. The Wahn-monologue is simply
superb. There is a resigned sadness
to the repetitions of ‘Wahn’, and McIntyre
positively comes to life when anguish
is mentioned in the text. The fact about
McIntyre’s account of Sachs is that
when one reaches the end of the music-drama,
the laudatory chorus that ends the opera
is entirely believable. He actually
takes the listener/watcher inside the
character and for this alone the set
is worth the outlay.
Paul Frey takes on
the challenging part of Walther Von
Stolzing. Frey is no great actor, it
is true, but he can be (at least vocally)
quite passionate (the passage around
‘Für euch Gut und Blut!’ in Act
I Scene 1, for example). His tuning
can wander, though (Act III Scene 2
is but one example), and this can be
off-putting. Still, he rises to the
challenge of the Prize Song laudably.
Sixtus Beckmesser must
be one of the most fun roles in the
operatic canon to take on. John Pringle
is one of the delights of the set, so
irritating yet at the same time so amusing.
This Beckmesser is positively Loge-like
at times (he looks a bit like TV’s Poirot,
but slimmed-down), and he and Robert
Altman’s Kothner make a wonderful pair.
In fact Altman is an excellent singer,
both technically and interpretatively.
Rosemary Gunn’s Magdalene
can be delightfully cheeky. At first
she even seems to eclipse her Eva, for
Helena Doese takes a little while to
warm into her role. This Eva can be
a little warbly at times, although she
holds a fair range of nuance within
her voice (including a Brünnhilde
impression in Act III Scene 3, ‘Selig
sind die Sonne’!).
Pogner is distinguished-looking
Donald Shanks, possessed of huge voice.
Christopher Doig is a highly musical
David; his, ‘Damit, Herr Ritter, ist’s
so bewandt’ of Act I is but one example
of many of this musicality.
The apprentices are
youthful and highly mobile, yet this
is perhaps not entirely reflected in
their vocal contributions.
On technical presentation,
most appears to be well. A word of warning
to be prepared at the end of Act I –
just let the disc play and you are in
Act II much quicker than I imagine most
would want. Nevertheless this remains
a highly recommendable Meistersinger,
the whole of which is greater than the
sum of its parts.
Colin Clarke
Australian Opera Chorus; 
ARTHAUS
MUSIK 100 122 [2 DVDs: 277’00] 