Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg facts for kids
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (which means The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) is a famous opera created by Richard Wagner. It's special because it's the only funny opera Wagner ever wrote! Wagner wrote the story (called the libretto) in 1862 and finished the music in 1867. The opera was first performed in Munich in 1868.
The story takes place in the German town of Nuremberg in the 16th century. It's all about a group of singers called Mastersingers. These Mastersingers were part of a special club, or guild, for singers in Germany many centuries ago. The most famous Mastersinger was a real person named Hans Sachs, who lived in the 16th century. Even though Hans Sachs was real, Wagner made up the story for the opera. It's a fun tale about a big singing contest.
Contents
The Story of the Mastersingers Opera
The start of the opera, called the prelude, is very famous. It's often played by itself in concerts. This part has several tunes that are sometimes played together in a clever way, like a musical puzzle. These tunes are important throughout the opera. They are linked to certain people or ideas, and these special tunes are called leitmotifs.
Act One: A Knight's New Song
A young knight named Walther is in church when he sees a beautiful girl named Eva. He quickly wants to know if she is married. Eva tells him she will marry the winner of a singing contest happening the very next day. Walther decides he must learn how to be a Mastersinger. He asks David, who works for Hans Sachs (the cobbler), to teach him. David himself is in love with a girl named Magdalene. Soon, the young helpers, called apprentices, start getting the stage ready for the contest.
To win the contest, Walther needs to write and sing his own mastersong. But there are many strict rules for these songs, like how many lines they must have and how the words should rhyme. When Walther meets the other Mastersingers, he tells them he learned to sing from an old poet and from nature itself. He sings a beautiful song, but it doesn't follow the Mastersingers' rules. The Mastersingers don't understand how lovely his song is.
One of the Mastersingers is the town clerk, Beckmesser. He's a funny character, and Wagner makes him seem quite silly. Beckmesser is the "marker," like a judge. When a singer makes a "mistake" (meaning they don't follow the rules), the marker puts a chalk mark on a board. As Walther sings, Beckmesser makes many chalk marks. Only Hans Sachs sees the true beauty of Walther's song. There's a lot of noise and shouting, and Walther even has to stand on a chair to finish his song.
Act Two: A Night of Noise
The scene is a street in Nuremberg at night. Eva's grand house is across from Hans Sachs' simpler home. Eva's father realizes she is in love with Walther. Hans Sachs is thinking about the young knight and how well he sings. Eva asks Hans who he thinks will win the song contest. Then her father calls her back inside. Beckmesser arrives, hoping to serenade Eva (sing her a love song).
Walther meets Eva, and they wonder if they should elope (run away together). Eva cleverly switches clothes with her maid. But Hans Sachs stops them just as they are about to leave. Beckmesser is tuning his lute, ready to sing. Walther wants to argue with him, but Eva tells him to sit quietly while Beckmesser sings. Hans Sachs, who is mending Beckmesser's shoe, has a different plan. He starts singing his own song, which really annoys Beckmesser, who is trying to sing to the girl he thinks is Eva (but it's actually Eva's maid in disguise). Beckmesser tells Hans to stop. Hans says he will, but he'll hammer on his shoe every time Beckmesser makes a mistake. Beckmesser starts singing again, and Hans hammers many times! All the neighbors wake up and come into the street, arguing and fighting. Finally, the night watchman arrives, and everyone goes back into their houses.
Act Three: The Prize Song
David is getting a song ready for the midsummer festival. Then Walther arrives and tells Hans about a song that came to him in a dream. Hans helps him prepare this song for the contest. After they leave the workshop, Beckmesser comes in and sees the paper with the song. He picks it up. When Hans returns, Beckmesser says it's clear that Hans wants to enter the contest himself. Hans tells Beckmesser he can have the song. Beckmesser is thrilled, thinking he can now win Eva in marriage.
At the song contest, Beckmesser tries to sing the song. But he sings it to his own tune, which doesn't fit the words, and he mixes up all the words. Everyone laughs at him, and he leaves the stage angrily, saying that Sachs wrote the song. Now, Walther sings his prize song. This time, people realize how beautiful it is, even though it doesn't follow the usual rules. Because he won, Walther can now marry Eva!
The Music of the Opera
Wagner's operas have music that flows continuously. It develops in very clever ways using special tunes called leitmotifs. In the beginning of the opera, we hear several of these leitmotifs that will be important later. For example, there's a tune for the dignity of the Mastersingers, a tune for passion that later becomes Walther's prize song, and even a chattering tune for the apprentices. The music from the beginning of Act Three is also often played separately in concert halls.
There are many beautiful parts in this opera. Wagner cleverly changes the music style to fit what's happening. For instance, when Eva's father talks about the Mastersingers' good name in Germany, we hear an old-fashioned singing style called recitative. Beckmesser is made to sound silly through his music, which is a big contrast to Walther's romantic and beautiful music.
Images for kids
-
Act 3, painting by Ferdinand Leeke
See also
In Spanish: Los maestros cantores de Núremberg para niños
