Operas Set in Germany - Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg, Die Fledermaus, I Masnadieri, Faust, Friedenstag, Werther, Ein Feldlager in Schlesien (Paperback)

Chapters: Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg, Die Fledermaus, I Masnadieri, Faust, Friedenstag, Werther, Ein Feldlager in Schlesien, Feuersnot, Guntram. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 68. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) is an opera in three acts, written and composed by Richard Wagner. It is one of the most popular operas in the repertory, and is among the longest still commonly performed today, usually taking around four and a half hours. It was first performed at the Konigliches Hof- und National-Theater in Munich, on June 21, 1868. The conductor at the premiere was Hans von Bulow. The story takes place in Nuremberg during the middle of the 16th century. At the time, Nuremberg was an Imperial Free City, and one of the centers of the Renaissance in Northern Europe. The story revolves around the real-life guild of Meistersinger (Master Singers), an association of amateur poets and musicians, mostly from the middle class and often master craftsmen in their main professions. The Mastersingers developed a craftsmanlike approach to music-making, with an intricate system of rules for composing and performing songs. The work draws much of its charm from its faithful depiction of the Nuremberg of the era and the traditions of the Mastersinger guild. One of the main characters, the cobbler-poet Hans Sachs, is based on an actual historical figure: Hans Sachs (14941576), the most famous of the historical Mastersingers. In the first Act, the town goldsmith Veit Pogner announces that the winner of the St. John's Feast Day (Midsummer's Day) song contest will win the hand in marriage of his daughter, Eva. The only stipulation is that the winner must be, or become, a Mastersinger. Walther, a young knight who is already in love with Eva...More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=3791