This week, our peek into the Mike Richter collection reveals a long listen for those lengthy midwinter nights: Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

From “Opera from Bayreuth”

Richard Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Bayreuth Festival 1960
Performance of July 23, 1960

Hans Sachs – Josef Greindl
Veit Pogner – Theo Adam
Sixtus Beckmesser – Karl Schmitt-Walter
Fritz Kothner – Ludwig Weber
Kunz Vogelgesang – Wilfried Krug
Konrad Nachtigall – Egmont Koch
Balthasar Zorn – Heinz Zimmermann
Ulrich Eißlinger – Harald Neukirch
Augustin Moser – Hermann Winkler
Hermann Ortel – Fritjof Sentpaul
Hans Schwarz – Hans-Günter Nöcker
Hans Foltz – Eugen Fuchs
Eva – Elisabeth Grümmer
Walther von Stolzing – Wolfgang Windgassen
David, Sachsens Lehrbube – Gerhard Stolze
Magdalena – Elisabeth Schärtel
Nachtwächter – Donald Bell

Chorus and Orchestra of the Bayreuth Festival
Chorus Master – Wilhelm Pitz
Conductor – Hans Knappertsbusch

Production and staging – Wieland Wagner

La Cieca

James Jorden (who wrote under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") was the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he wrote for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni. He also contributed a regular column on opera for the New York Observer. James died in October 2023.

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