ARTISTS
Ben Heppner - Walther von Stolzing
Karita Mattila - Eva
Jill Grove - Magdalene
Matthew Polenzani - David
Reneé Pape - Veit Pogner
Thomas Allen - Sixtus Beckmesser
James Morris - Hans Sachs
& supporting cast
The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus
James Levine

Production: Otto Schenk · Set Designer: Günther Schneider-Siemssen
Costume Designer: Rolf Langenfass · Lighting Designer: Gil Wechsler
A Metropolitan Opera Production

The MET video production of Richard Wagner's only comedy Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg features the revival of Otto Schenk's 1993 production in December 2001, with an unmatchable ensemble: James Morris, Karita Mattila, Ben Heppner, Thomas Alan, René Pape and the MET chorus and orchestra under the direction of James Levine.

The American bass-baritone James Morris made his house début in the demanding role of Hans Sachs in this filmed performance. Paul Griffiths wrote in the New York Times that he sounded 'as if he had been singing it all his life', and critical responses were united on the musical qualities of Morris's performances, his 'bel canto virtues' and 'rhythmic suppleness' as well as his care of the text 'investing every line with meaning'.

The Finnish soprano Karita Mattila sang Eva when the production was new, and again in 1995, and Ben Heppner had been singing the role of her suitor since 1990 at La Scala. Like Sachs, Walther has to face a demanding solo at the very end of a long opera; for all the singer's Heldentenor credentials, Heppner takes a properly lyrical approach to the Prize Song, and, as one critic remarked, his performance had 'the grace of Schubert Lieder'.

Thomas Allen, too, had already been seen and acclaimed throughout Europe for his detailed portrayal of the officious Beckmesser; this, however, was his first appearance in his signature role at the MET.

Throughout James Levine's account of this most sonorous of Wagner's scores, lyricism is to the fore, while the playing of the MET orchestra clarifies the contrapuntal textures that are one of the work's defining characteristics.

Following his acclaimed Ring cycle, director Otto Schenk has imparted a similar traditional Romantic atmosphere to Wagner's only comedy, and the production was excellently filmed by the well-known video director Brian Large .

The MET production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg has never been released on any format and is another project of the expanded collaboration between Deutsche Grammophon and The Metropolitan Opera, which represents a major step in the rapidly growing marketing of opera on DVD. The features of DGG's state-of-the art DVD-Video concept make maximum use of what the format can offer:

• Superb picture quality
• Improved audio quality and two surround sound options: PCM Stereo PCM and DTS 5.1 + Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound
• picture gallery: 'Meistersinger' at the Met
• DVD trailer
• DVD catalogue section
• Subtitles in French, German, English, Spanish, Chinese
• Menu in English
• NTSC version only, playable worldwide