Richard Wagner: Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg

John Warrack

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is Wagner’s only mature comedy, and one of the richest and most profound in the history of music. This book presents an informative and stimulating study of an opera that occupies a particular place in music lovers’ affections, yet always has more to reveal. John Warrack traces the evolution of the work from plans for a light comic opera, through all the drafts and the literary influences on them, into the eventual comedy: and he then studies the music in depth. He also gives an account of what Wagner found in the historical Mastersingers and their music. Lucy Beckett explores the influence of Schopenhauer on the work, and examines the complexity of its expressive methods. Michael Tanner suggests new ways of interpreting the opera’s inner and outer worlds. There is a history of significant productions by Patrick Carnegy. The volume includes a full synopsis, bibliography and three appendices.

Bibliographic Details

8 b/w illus. 29 music examples

Contents

• List of illustrations
• General preface
• Acknowledgements
• Abbreviations
• Composition and performance details
• 1. The sources and genesis of the text John Warrack
• 2. Synopsis John Warrack
• 3. Sachs, Beckmesser, and Mastersong John Warrack
• 4: Sachs and Schopenhauer Lucy Beckett
• 5. Richard Wagner and Hans Sachs Michael Tanner
• 6. Die Meistersinger: naive or sentimental art? Lucy Beckett
• 7. Wahn, words and music John Warrack
• 8. Stage history Patrick Carnegy
• Appendices: 1. The Wahn monologue
• 2. Sachss final address
• 3. The original Prize Song
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index.