Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Since its inaugural performance of Die Meistersinger in 2014, the Saffron Opera Group (SOG) has presented eight of Wagner’s ten canonical operas in rural Essex. It is refreshing to see an amateur opera organisation – which evidently commands a loyal local audience in Saffron Walden – dedicating itself to performing such complex works. This Meistersinger, conducted by SOG music director Michael Thorne, celebrated ten years of such effort. But mounting the longest commonly performed opera presents myriad challenges. The contrapuntal minutiae, balancing philosophising with comedy and the sheer scale of Wagner’s drama demand the highest dedication from instrumentalist, singer and conductor alike.
The triumphant Prelude was played at a strong tempo with dynamics well balanced between the strings, woodwind and brass – though the latter seemed nervous and struggled to enter simultaneously. The syncopated passages in the violins were perhaps a little clumsy at first but had improved by the first scene, whereupon the chorus hearteningly belted out their chorale with Thorne directing the interplay between choir, solo cello and solo viola admirably.
One of the challenges of performing opera in concert is that the soloists are often unable to see the conductor as they can in the opera house. In the first scene, Alex Aldren as David didn’t quite manage to arrive at his cadences at the same time as the orchestra behind him. He could have done with more projection – at times singing too softly – but redeemed himself with engaging acting together with Charne Rochford (Walther), Eleanor Dennis (Eva) and Georgia Mae Bishop (Magdalene) in the first scene.
Two singers in particular deserve special mention. William Dazeley thoroughly entertained as Beckmesser, bringing out Wagner’s latent humour; indeed I have never heard so much laughter at a Wagner concert. Andrew Greenan, who sang Pogner in Acts I and II and Sachs in Act III (Paul Carey Jones, the intended Sachs, had fallen ill), demonstrated an intimate knowledge of both roles and sung with brilliant clarity.
By Act II, the orchestra had found its feet. The horns and woodwind were more synchronised which meant leitmotifs were knitted together more convincingly. Despite having to change his role at the last minute, William Stevens made a good effort as the Act I and II Sachs – one of Wagner’s toughest roles even when all Mastersingers are healthy. Simon Grange performed the (albeit small) role of the Nightwatchman withstunning projection from the upper-right side of the hall. Dennis (Eva) seemed rather score-bound which impeded her acting in the fourth scene with Stevens, though the dynamic in Scene 5 with Rochford (Walther) was more natural. When Georgia Mae Bishop took to the upper-right side of the hall as Magdalene disguised as Eva, she could have looked at Dazeley (Beckmesser) more to emphasise the humour of the Mastersinger serenading the wrong woman, which is usually one of the most amusing passages. As the riot broke out towards the end of the act, having the Masters stagger in wearing their pyjamas was a nice touch. The riot itself is a notoriously difficult passage to conduct coherently, filled as it is with contrasting rhythms, but Thorne held the chorus, soloists and orchestra together well.
The decision to revert to Greenan as Sachs for Act III was wise; he delivered the Wahn Monologue impeccably. But in the third scene with Sachs and Beckmesser, he could have acted more persuasively which would have made the interplay more compelling. Rochford as Walther was less energetic than he had been initially, but grew in confidence as the act progressed, and Dennis performed Eva strongly with a firm high register. When it came to the quintet, the soloists were more assured and evidently knew the music well. In Scene 5, Rochford gave an impassioned performance of the Prize Song during which Thorne ensured he didn’t have to battle the orchestra to be heard. Towards the end of the scene, the violins didn’t quite manage to begin and end their trill at the same time as Dennis, which made for rather an awkward sound.
Thorne and the orchestra could perhaps have made more of an effort to bring out the leitmotifs rather than subsuming them in the texture. Having said that, the orchestral swells were powerful when they needed to be and the playing became more organised as the music moved towards its conclusion.
A lack of rehearsal time presumably accounted for some of these musicodramatic shortcomings, as is often the case with the limited resources available to amateur opera groups. Nevertheless, organisations such as the Saffron Opera Group are the lifeblood of British opera. Moreover its home – Saffron Hall, which opened the year before the Group was founded – is a remarkable venue that draws musicians of the highest calibre while doubling as a school concert hall. If schoolchildren countrywide had such provision, we might produce a few more Mastersingers of our own.