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Joachim Goltz as Sixtus Beckmesser in Theater Bonn's new production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg | Photo: © Bettina Stöß

The focus of this Meistersinger is immediately evident, even before music begins – footage of the swastika emblem of the Nuremberg Rally Ground being blown up by the American Army in 1945. German productions of the opera almost invariably tackle its Nazi legacy, and this one does so more directly than most. It is set in the immediate post-War period, its single set a Nazi-era assembly hall, in which hastily plastered-over party insignia intermittently reappear. And the political allegory is laid on thick, with appearances by a string of modern-day despots underlying the contemporary relevance. 

Fortunately, there is also plenty of comedy, and director Aron Stiehl has devised an ingenious concept to combine the two, transposing the setting from midsummer Franconia to Shrovetide in the Rhineland. The carnival celebrations in this part of the world have a well-established format that fits the story well. It is also a very political event, with politicians and authority figures caricatured and lampooned, something Stiehl employs effectively against the modern-day despots he depicts. 

The opening is a choir rehearsal, rowdy and ill-disciplined, and the following lesson from David (Manuel Günther) on the rules of the singing completion is met with indifference and repeated interruption from the Lehrbuben lounging around the stage, and the Meistersinger, when they appear, are just as disorderly. As Beckmesser, Joachim Goltz, dominates this first act, continually attempting to maintain order and respect for the rules, despite the chaos around him – comedy gold. 

The second act opens with a disco in the same venue. Pregnant nocturnal gloom is lacking, although the ghostly appearance of the Meistersinger behind Walther (Mirko Roschkowski) as he laments their judgement is thrillingly disturbing. For Beckmesser’s serenade, his lute is replaced with an on-stage harpist, Johanna Welsch. A scenario plays out in which Beckmesser has hired the harpist, but she is reluctant to play and keeps leaving him in the lurch. The political dimension of the staging becomes explicit in the riot scene. The Night Watchman (Juhwan Cho) appears incongruously dressed as Chairman Mao, and then as the violence erupts, puppets appear representing, Putin, Trump, Marine Le Pen, and the leaders of Germany’s far-right AfD party.  

The cast of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at Theater Bonn | Photo: © Bettina Stöß​

The set telescopes, allowing the back wall to move forward, creating a more intimate setting for Sach’s workshop in the third act. Sachs himself is played with a stern countenance by Tobias Schabel, endearing but hardly effusive. As another incongruous addition, Wagner himself appears when Beckmesser searches Sach’s workshop, though it is unclear why. The final scene is the carnival pageant, with the Meistersinger as the Elferrat, the council of fools who oversee the carnival celebrations. Sachs sings his problematic ‘Hab acht! Uns dräuen uble streich’ monologue from the proscenium, directly to the audience, at which point, Putin, Trump et al reappear. But the work’s final triumphant message is delivered effectively, with the chorus surrounding the audience in the auditorium, each holding a plaque with the name of a more worthy German artist of recent times: the true heirs to Sachs’s legacy. 

Against this radical setting, much of the narrative plays out in traditional fashion. The cast is mostly young, many in promising role debuts. Mirko Roschkowski brings a light, lyrical tenor to the role of Walther, though he lacks security in the high register, even in the Prize Song. But he is a good match for Anna Princeva as Eva, also very lyrical and a convincing actor in a challenging role. Dshamilja Kaiser is a strait-laced Magdalena, but commanding in the second act, where her turn at Eva’s balcony takes place in one of the boxes of the auditorium. Much of this production’s visual comedy revolves around Manuel Günther’s David, for which he is suitably agile, though his voice lacks power. Pavel Kudinov is very young for the role of Pogner, but makes up with the sheer depth of his voice.  

For the performance under review, General Music Director Dirk Kaftan was indisposed and replaced by his assistant Hermes Helfricht. Despite the short notice, Helfricht presented a convincing account, propulsive but sensitive to the singers. The Beethoven Orchester Bonn were robust, sometimes to the expense of the voices, but brought out valuable detail, even if ensemble in the lower strings and horns was sometimes questionable. But the musical values always match the dramatic goals, the orchestra matching the singers’ deliberately drawn-put phrases and raising the tension at climaxes to match the irony of the stage action. The carnival concept works well here to fit the political message into a highly comic account, and although some of the staging ideas seem frustratingly random and disingenuous, all contribute towards the endearingly festive atmosphere.  

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg runs at Theater Bonn until 24 November. theater-bonn.de