Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - Frantz, Aldenhoff, Lemnitz, Unger, Böhme, Pflanzl; Kempe. Dresden, 1951

$10.17

Listen to a Sample:

Ferdinand Frantz is without question a Hans Sachs for the ages, combining virile, masculine tones with the heart of a poet.
Tiana Lemnitz is radiant as Eva.
As Walther, Bernd Aldenhoff's voice is on the more dramatic end of the spectrum, but his solid technique carries him through some of the passages that bare a closer resemblance to Mozart than Wagner.
In the smaller parts there are some fun cameos including Theo Adam as Hermann Ortel and Gerhard Stolze as Augustin Moser.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the exemplary playing of the Dresdner Staatskapelle under the direction of Rudolf Kempe.
The sound is outstanding.