Composer

:

Richard Wagner

Genre

:

Opera

Style

:

Opera

Compose Date

:

1862 - 1867

Average_duration

:

221:16

Movement_count

:

68

Movement ....

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is an opera composed by Richard Wagner, which premiered on June 21, 1868, at the Königliches Hof- und National-Theater in Munich. The opera is set in Nuremberg, Germany, in the 16th century and tells the story of a group of master singers who compete for the hand of a young woman named Eva. The plot revolves around the character of Walther von Stolzing, a young knight who falls in love with Eva and decides to compete in the singing contest to win her hand in marriage. However, he is not a member of the guild of master singers and must learn the rules and techniques of their art in order to compete. The other characters in the opera include Eva's father, Veit Pogner, who is a wealthy goldsmith and one of the mastersingers; Hans Sachs, a shoemaker and the most respected of the mastersingers; and Beckmesser, a jealous and scheming member of the guild who also competes for Eva's hand. The opera is divided into three acts, each with its own set of musical themes and motifs. The first act introduces the characters and sets up the competition, while the second act focuses on Walther's attempts to learn the art of singing and his eventual triumph in the contest. The third act deals with the aftermath of the competition, as the characters come to terms with their feelings and relationships. One of the key themes of the opera is the tension between tradition and innovation, as represented by the conflict between the mastersingers and Walther. Wagner uses the music to highlight this tension, with the traditional mastersingers' music being more structured and formal, while Walther's music is more free-flowing and expressive. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is notable for its use of leitmotifs, or recurring musical themes associated with specific characters or ideas. Wagner uses these motifs to create a sense of unity and coherence throughout the opera, as well as to highlight the emotional and psychological states of the characters. Overall, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is a complex and multi-layered work that explores themes of love, tradition, and creativity. Its premiere was a great success, and it remains one of Wagner's most popular and enduring operas.

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