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Wagner's "Die Meistersinger" was substantially recast and, in matters of staging, noticeably revised on its return to the Metropolitan Opera House on Saturday night after a season's absence. But Paul Schoeffler's familiar portrayal of Hans Sachs and the masterly conducting of Fritz Reiner, who was in exceptionally good form, carried more weight in making the occasion an outstanding one than any of the new features, though these were not without their merits and interest.

Two German tenors made their American debuts in major roles, and Walburga Wegner, a recent acquisition of the Met, sang her first Eva here. The two newcomers, Hans Hopf, as Walther, and Richard Holm, as David, projected well and sang with the music well under control. Mr. Hopf was a bit tentative in Act I, but later revealed a voice of considerable power. It is a voice that will have its uses for the Wagner repertory, but there was not much beauty or style, and the portrayal was rather stiff. Mr. Holm, has an outgoing personality, and he at once established a rapport with the audience. Since we have not had a convincing David at the Met for some time, we should consider ourselves fortunate at his arrival, despite a marked variability of his tones.

Miss Wegner had made a better impression in "Elektra" than she did as Eva Saturday night. Her performance was somewhat pale. There was little opulence or roundness in her singing and, for a thin tone, hers was insufficiently pure to succeed. Herta Glaz, as Magdalena for the first time here, turned in a sympathetic performance, but Alois Pernerstorfer's first Pogner was, vocally, not very appealing, Kenneth Schon, who has been touring with the Met's special "Fledermaus" company, returned after a season's absence to replace Herbert Janssen at a few day's notice as Kothner. The quality of his voice was not, on this occasion, up to Metropolitan standards. As in previous years, Gerhard Pechner's Beckmesser was striking and incisive.

The new stage direction of Dino Yannapoulis helped to keep the performance alive, but it was the combination of dignity and enormously human warmth in Mr. Schoeffler's portrayal that lent most character to the stage action. Vocally, too, his performance was of a higher order, and all in all, his Sachs remains the finest in memory. The orchestra sounded very well indeed and Mr. Reiner rewarded us with a reading of such elegance and transparency that I found myself hearing details that I was scarcely were in the score.

Search by season: 1951-52

Search by title: Die Meistersinger von N?rnberg,

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