The 2008 reprise of the evergreen Otto Schenk staging with an overwhelming cast, perfect for all Wagner traditionalists. Conductor Christian Thielemann deserves a great deal of the credit for fashioning a multi-faceted drama that is anything but black-and-white in its musical depiction of the characters. Since his Bayreuth Festival debut in 2000,Thielemann has established himself as one of the world's leading Wagner conductors. Among the vocal surprises of this live recording is Adrian Eröd as Beckmesser. Eröd is on a par with the great Wagner baritone Falk Struckmann as Hans Sachs, who injects earthy humour into his role while building a tender rapport with Ricarda Merbeth's Eva.As Walther von Stolzing, Johan Botha is pure tenor gold.
NTSC · 16:9, PCM Stereo· DD 5.1· DTS 5.1
Region Code: 0
Booklet Notes: English, German, French
Languages: German
Subtitles: English, German, French
Running Time: 273 mins
FSK: all audiences
January 2010
****
“This is perhaps the finest recording, either on DVD or CD, of Wagner's complex masterpiece… Christian Thielemann… keeps the whole piece, very close to five hours, moving irresistibly, and he has the Vienna Philharmonic playing magnificently, untiringly, and a superb cast. This one has the noblest contemporary Sachs, Falk Struckmann, in top form, and Johan Botha, a man-mountain, as an exceptionally sensitive Walther, and an expressive actor despite his bulk. The Pogner of Ain Auger is phenomenally fine, and Adrian Eröd's Beckmesser is outstanding. Otto Schenk's production is as traditional without a trace of routine. Sticking mainly very closely to Wagner's stage directions - a revolutionary stroke - and well photographed, it illuminates point after point in the action.”
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