from Act I, Scene 2 of the German opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner

Libretto: Richard Wagner

Role: David, apprentice of Hans Sachs

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: lyric tenor

Setting: a makeshift arena, Nuremburg, Germany, mid-sixteenth century

Synopsis: David gives Walter, the new candidate for the Mastersingers Guild, a rundown of all the different confusing rules of the Guild that Walter will have to follow in order to gain admission to the Guild.

from Act III, Scene 1 of the German opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner

Libretto: Richard Wagner

Role: Eva, daughter of Pogner

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: dramatic soprano

Setting: the workshop of Sachs, Nuremburg, Germany, mid-sixteenth century

Synopsis: Eva tells Sachs that she really thinks a lot of him but only in a platonic sense. She thanks him for teaching her what love is, now that she has found it with Walter.

from Act I, Scene 2 of the German opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner

Libretto: Richard Wagner

Role: Fritz Kothner, a baker

Voice Part: bass       Fach: heavy bass

Setting: a makeshift arena, Nuremburg, Germany, mid-sixteenth century

Synopsis: Kothner recites the long and confusing rules of becoming a Mastersinger. If Walter breaks seven of the rules while he sings his trial song, the Guild will not allow him to join.

from Act II of the German opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner

Libretto: Richard Wagner

Role: Hans Sachs, a cobbler

Voice Part: baritone       Fach: dramatic baritone

Setting: a square in Nuremburg, Germany, mid-sixteenth century

Synopsis: As he cobbles, Sachs sings a song which, besides being fairly loud, is also meant as a warning to Eva that he knows that the two of them have been meeting and making plans.

from Act III, Scene 2 of the German opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner

Libretto: Richard Wagner

Role: Hans Sachs, a cobbler

Voice Part: baritone       Fach: dramatic baritone

Setting: a meadow outside of Nuremburg, Germany, mid-sixteenth century

Synopsis: After Walter refuses the membership offered to him by the Mastersingers Guild, Sachs tells him that the Masters have actually helped preserve German Art which Sachs believes that should be kept pure without any foreign influences.

from Act III, Scene 1 of the German opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner

Libretto: Richard Wagner

Role: Hans Sachs, a cobbler

Voice Part: baritone       Fach: dramatic baritone

Setting: the workshop of Sachs, Nuremburg, Germany, mid-sixteenth century

Synopsis: Brooding over the riot of the previous night in which his apprentice David was involved, Sachs philosophizes over the madness that is rampant throughout the world. He tries to figure out how the madness that causes such things as war and riots can instead be harnessed to produce good things.

from Act II of the German opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner

Libretto: Richard Wagner

Role: Hans Sachs, a cobbler

Voice Part: baritone       Fach: dramatic baritone

Setting: a square in Nuremburg, Germany, mid-sixteenth century

Synopsis: Sachs contemplates the trial song he heard from the Guild candidate Walter earlier that day. He isn't quite sure why but he is struck by its purity and beauty. He knows that the other Masters disliked it greatly but he really loved it.

from Act II of the German opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner

Libretto: Richard Wagner

Role: Sixtus Beckmesser, town clerk

Voice Part: baritone       Fach: buffo bass

Setting: a square in Nuremburg, Germany, mid-sixteenth century

Synopsis: Beckmesser is practicing his florid and unartistic song for the song contest the next day. Sachs offers to mark time for Beckmesser with his hammer but instead only marks when he thinks Beckmesser's song has gone awry. This makes Beckmesser fairly angry.

from Act I, Scene 2 of the German opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner

Libretto: Richard Wagner

Role: Veit Pogner, a goldsmith, father of Eva

Voice Part: bass       Fach: lyric bass

Setting: a makeshift arena, Nuremburg, Germany, mid-sixteenth century

Synopsis: Pogner arrives and tells everyone why he decided to hold a song contest with his daughter as the prize. Apparently, Nuremburg is perceived by others as a pretty boring place. So, Pogner figures that a song contest would show everyone else that Nuremburg is much more exciting than they previously thought.

from Act I, Scene 2 of the German opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner

Libretto: Richard Wagner

Role: Walter von Stolzing, a young knight from Franconia

Voice Part: tenor

Setting: a makeshift arena, Nuremburg, Germany, mid-sixteenth century

Synopsis: Walter is asked by the Masters what kind of training he had. He tells them his educational background, which isn't very substantial. The people who could recommend him are now dead and the rest of his learning comes from his life experiences.

from Act III, Scene 2 of the German opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner

Libretto: Richard Wagner

Role: Walter von Stolzing, a young knight from Franconia

Voice Part: tenor

Setting: a meadow outside of Nuremburg, Germany, mid-sixteenth century

Synopsis: Walter sings his Prize Song for the song contest. It is a beautiful and magical piece which poetically describes his love for Eva.

from Act I, Scene 2 of the German opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner

Libretto: Richard Wagner

Role: Walter von Stolzing, a young knight from Franconia

Voice Part: tenor

Setting: a makeshift arena, Nuremburg, Germany, mid-sixteenth century

Synopsis: Walter sings his trial song to the Masters in an attempt to get into the Mastersinger Guild. Passionate and unrestrained, it is a song in praise of spring. It receives a bad reception from the rule-bound Masters except for the more liberal Sachs.