Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg

I went to the Cincinnati Opera last night, and my first, most overwhelming, most lasting response: WOW!

I wasn’t sure I could handle 6 hours of opera, but the hours flew by, being exposed to the talents of the cast, the art of the sets, the energy of the audience. Having the tickets I had certainly helped, too. First balcony, first row, dead center. The acoustics and the view were spectacular. I loved being able to see into the pit, get to experience the musicians as artists and people rather than recordings.

The story was Shakespearean, filled with confusion, convoluted planning, star-crossed lovers. There was word play (I was able to catch some of the German, but the supertitle translations helped, too). There was cross-generational conflict. There was love of plot, characters and progression.

Given my background (my far, far away background, of say, high school), I love the performing arts. I miss being a part of a stage production, miss feeling the wave of music hit me as I take in a breath to push my voice into an audience. I miss that rush. But experiencing the wave of music, in terms of vocal and instrumental, on the other side of the stage was a welcome reminder of the energy that music, poetry, art can give.

The story behind the music, too, helped to inspire me to do everything I can to preserve a love of music and the arts in the next generation of my children.

So, my basic review: Never let a sub-textual title of “The Six Hour Opera” keep you from experiencing Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg.