Metropolitan Opera Archives

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg received five performances this season.
Kautsky & Rottonara Brothers designed the set for Act I, Burghart & Co. the others.

Review 1:

Review in The New York Times

"DIE MEISTERSINGER" AT METROPOLITAN

Wagner's Comedy Revived and Preparations Made to Bring Out Others of His Works Here

ONLY THEATRE TO DO THIS

Even at Bayreuth Later Productions of the Composer Are Not Heard - Opera Well Sung Last Evening

Wagner's comedy of mediaeval Nuremberg, "Die Meistersinger," received its first performance of the season last evening at the Metropolitan Opera House. In a few weeks "Das Rheingold" and "Die Götterdämmerung" are to be brought forward, and then every one of the important works of Wagner will be in this season's repertoire at this theatre. Only "Die Feen," "Rienzi," and "Der Filegende Holländer" will remain unsung. There is not another theatre in the world of which this can be said, for no other theatre except Bayreuth has "Parsifal" in its répertoire, and at that festival house the répertoire for any one season never includes all of the later works of the composer.

Arturo Toscanini conducted "Die Meistersinger" for the first time here last season and brought out the poetic details of the score in a manner which made the performance one of the most notable of the year. Last night again the colors of the orchestral score were painted vividly by his very certain hand. Such a ceaseless flow of melody occurs in very few scores, and under the direction of Mr. Toscanini Wagner's music glows with life. There is some difference of opinion about the German comedic element which abounds in this book. There are some who feel that Mr. Toscanini does not bring this out to the extent that a German might. However, his poetic reading of the music is compensation enough in any case.

The cast last evening differed in many particulars from that of last season, but all the singers had been heard here before at various times in their respective rôles. Miss Destinn returned to the part of Eva and she sang the music with a beauty of tone and a freedom of utterance which aided materially in the spirit of the performance. Miss Wickham sang Magdalene well and gave to the part a humorous characterization.

Carl Jörn, who had been the King's son in Humperdinck's new lyric drama the evening before, was the Walther on this occasion. This tenor has seldom sung here with better effect. Occasionally his throat method of producing his tones was noticeable, but usually he was more than excellent, both vocally and dramatically.

To Walter Soomer fell the part of Hans Sachs. Sometimes too Bayruthian in his methods, he sang much of the music extremely well. William Hinshaw was a newcomer in the cast. He sang the Handelian measures of Kothner in the first act without by any means exhausting their possibilities. Mr. Witherspoon was the Pogner. It is unnecessary to refer at length to the familiar characterizations of. Beckmesser and David by Mr. Goritz and Mr. Reiss. The former, however, is a masterpiece of humorous action and voice coloring which never falters for an effect, and. Mr. Reiss's David is both sympathetic and accurate.

The stage management last evening was excellent in detail. The chorus sang splendidly, especially in the difficult finale of the second act. The audience was very enthusiastic and there were many curtain calls, several of which were shared by Mr. Toscanini.

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