Photo by Robert Kusel
WFMT's Live Broadcast Starts Friday evening at 5:15 PM
Ever the radical, Wagner must have amused himself, poking fun at the musical establishment. He sidestepped the mythology and magic of his other works to write a romantic comedy. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is historical fiction. In fact, Wagner’s central character Hans Sachs did live and work as a poet, a playwright and cobbler in Nürnberg (1494-1576); and even earned the rank of “Meistersinger.” The historical Sachs did court scandal when he sided with the Lutheran movement. The town council banned him from publishing “pamphlets or rhymes.” Once the Reformation took hold, Sachs’ freedoms were restored.
The opening night broadcast of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg starts Friday evening at 5:15 PM on WFMT. Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin starts at 4:05 PM (Friday only).
Die Meistersinger at Lyric Opera (Photo by Robert Kusel)
