Premiere 10 April 2010
Opera. In this autobiographical work, Wagner gets even with his slanderers who were unable to understand the innovation of his art.
Opera in three acts by Richard Wagner (1813–1883).
Hardly any other work could be so eagerly awaited on a Swedish opera stage as Wagner’s gigantic opera comedy Meistersinger von Nürnberg. In our country it has not been performed since the 1980s in Stockholm and it is only the largest opera stages that can cope with such a big troupe of participants. After a long series of Wagner and Strauss productions in our opera houses, the time is now ripe to rise to the challenge, and this will take place in collaboration with the opera in Darmstadt. Their artistic director John Dew will be the director, and Olaf Henzold will return as conductor.
Watch a clip from the performance.
Just as in Goya earlier this season, Meistersinger von Nürnberg is about the artist’s prerequisites for creativity. The young Walther von Stolzing comes to Nuremberg and finds it difficult to gain a hearing for his kind of poetry among the reactionary bourgeoisie. Nevertheless, with the help of Hans Sachs, who can see his talent, he finally manages to win both understanding and appreciation and even young Eva’s hand in marriage. In this autobiographical work Wagner gets even with his slanderers who were unable to understand the innovation of his art.
John Dew has also moved the story to Wagner’s own time. Nothing will escape the critical eye of the director, when he discusses the true role of art in society in a way that is still pertinent today. But he has also sought to bring out the burlesque and common nature of the piece.
Watch pictures from the performance.
With Hans Sachs’ huge part, Anders Lorentzson has an extraordinary challenge, and as the screamingly funny besserwisser Beckmesser, Åke Zetterström has a comical yet at the same time very human role to play. The part of Walther is played by visiting tenor Richard Decker and Eva is played by promising soprano Sara Andersson who, in this work, sings her first prominent role on a Swedish stage.
Anders Lorentzson, Hans Sachs.
Anders Lorentzson (Hans Sachs), bass-baritone, .was a soloist at the Royal Opera in Stockholm for nine years before taking employment at The Göteborg Opera in 1994. His numerous roles at The Göteborg Opera include the title roles in Figaro’s Wedding and The Flying Dutchman, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Lindorf/Coppelius/Miracle/Dapertutto in The Tale of Hoffmann, Scarpia in Tosca, Don Prudenzio in Viaggio a Reims, Colline in La Bohème, Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia and The Doctor in Wozzeck. He has also performed as The Wanderer in Wagner’s Siegfried, The Chief of Police Javert in Les Misérables, Géronte in Manon, Count Waldner in Arabella, Osmin in The Abduction from the Seraglio and Mephistopheles in Faust.
Anders Lorentzson’s interpretation of Baron von Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier, Wotan in The Valkyrie and the title role in Falstaff are among his most highly-appreciated performances at The Göteborg Opera. His most recent roles here are Banco in Macbeth, The Prison Governor Frank in Die Fledermaus and Martin Zapater in Daniel Börtz’ opera Goya.
In the spring of 2007 Anders Lorentzson was a guest performer at the Vilnius Opera in Lithuania as Wotan in The Valkyrie as well as on their summer tour to Ljubljana in Slovenia and The Ravenna Festival in Italy.
