Hans Knappertsbusch is regarded as one of the great Wagner conductors of the past and his Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg does not disappoint! This recording was performed at the 1960 Bayreuth Festival with the choir and orchestra of the festival. The cast is full of extraordinary performances by Theo Adam (Veit Pogner), Karl Schmitt-Walter (Beckmesser), Gerhard Stolze (David), and more. Josef Greindl's debut in the role of Hans Sachs is a true highpoint in this production. Evan is portrayed by the superb Elisabeth Grümmer who sings with perfection, touching emotion and convincing youthfulness. Knappertsbusch's interpretation of this magnificent work by Wagner is very cultivated and restrained, supportive of the voices, and overall exciting and festive!

"This recording captures the opening night of the 1960 Bayreuth Festival in Wieland's (in)famous "Mastersingers without Nuremberg" production... Orfeo have released this performance to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of legendary Wagner conductor Hans Knappertsbusch (1888-1965).

The Sachs of Josef Greindl is the highlight of the singing cast... He manages a magnificent combination of worldly wisdom, weariness and warm humanity, all the while managing to sound about as lyrical and beautiful as you could hope for in this part. His Fliedermonolog is deeply reflective and enormously moving, and there is a glint of mischief in his voice during the Act 2 skirmish the Beckmesser. The great monologues of the third act are all superb, be it the weariness of Wahn, the deeply moving quality of his address to the people after Wach Auf, or the slightly finger-wagging final pages.

The mono sound is remarkably good for its age... Anyone who seeks out this recording will do so mainly because it captures several legends in full flow." - MusicWeb International