Almost a month too late, I know, but I loved this. I was away when it was broadcast but have got back from abroad, and caught up with a decent quality download of it. On several counts I thought it pretty marvellous: Finlay was very absorbing as Sachs and Beckmesser was, as several others have noted, very fine indeed - rather moving at the close of the opera. Jurowski was magnificent - some magical details, and very sensitive to the singers - and kept things moving, which I increasingly like as an approach in this piece (Goodall 1968 notwithstanding - since he does make some very slow speeds work wonderfully). Anyhow, I agree with Chris - I hope very much that this makes it onto a DVD. McVicar's production was splendid, I thought - and I liked the sets too. Altogether it was a long and lovely evening, and one of the most engrossing Meistersingers I've seen, at least in the last 20 years or so.
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