The new Opera House at Glyndebourne, which opened in 1994, allowed Glyndebourne to entertain the possibility of staging a Wagner opera for the first time in their 60 year history. Tristan und Isolde was first in 2003, followed by the staging of this production of Die Meistersinger in 2011 - the largest production ever to appear on the Glyndebourne stage.

Glyndebourne’s founder Sir John Christie (1882-1962) had a life-long passion for Wagner and staged an amateur performance of Act III of Die Meistersinger (casting himself as Beckmesser) on June 3rd 1928 - well before the Festival was established in 1932.

On this recording, Gerald Finley makes his debut as Hans Sachs, portraying Sach’s character sensitively and sympathetically, his voice nothing short of glorious. Johannes Martin Kränzle as Beckmesser beautifully handles this insecure and second-rate talent with a first rate performance.

Marco Jentzsch as Walther is extremely impressive, his Heldentenor voice wonderfully warm yet assertive. With Vladimir Jurowski at the helm, orchestral textures and colours are kept light and alive, resulting in a sound world somewhat different from most other available recordings. His reading remains true to the score and, most importantly, to the meaning of the opera.

This recording draws the listener in from the first note to the last, leaving one with music ringing in their ears for some time afterwards. Four hours flies by!

Cast:
- Hans Sachs: Gerald Finley (baritone)
- Walther von Stolzing: Marco Jentzsch (tenor)
- Eva: Anna Gabler (soprano)
- Beckmesser: Johannes Martin Kränzle (baritone)
- Magdalene: Michaela Selinger (mezzo-soprano)
- David: Topi Lehtipuu (tenor)
- Kunz Vogelgesang: Colin Judson (tenor)
- Veit Pogner: Alastair Miles (bass)

"…I don’t think I’ve ever been so enveloped and transported by this glorious music as at Glyndebourne..." - Wall Street Journal

"Gerald Finley is glorious: vocally right back to his volatile best, and exuding a mesmerising sadness, nobility and anguished stoicism." - The Times