A FABULOUS PERFORMANCE! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I bought this Meistersinger for Ernst Kozub. Not gonna lie, I think he sounds sketchy in the first act (he’s fine in the prize song). I didn’t care. Fans, huh? It was human of him. In fact, I found it a useful reminder what a high- wire act singing opera is. The rest of the cast is inhumanly perfect. Great set.

This is a wonderful performance of Meistersinger. First off, the RAI sound is excellent stereo. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Janowitz and Kozub in their respective roles. Adam has performed Sachs many times and does his usual fine job here. Sawallisch moves this performance at a perfect pace. The rest of the cast is very good and this is a worthy release. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a surprisingly good performance.

This Meistersinger is exceptionally well cast. Theo Adam is in superb voice as Hans Sachs, surpassing his performance on Karajan's commercial recording. Then there's Gundula Janowitz's youthful and gorgeously sung Eva. The rest of the cast is on an equally high level with the possible exception of Ernst Kozub, whose voice sounds a little frayed around the edges. Sawallisch provides unfailingly sensitive support from the podium. The stereo sound is excellent.

One wouldn't think a Meistersinger given in Rome would be memorable, but look at that cast! Sawallisch fielded one of the best Meistersinger casts ever assembled and his direction gives us a lovely, majestic performance that never drags (and Sawallisch makes no cuts).Adam's bass-baritone was never the most beautiful, but what he does with it causes one to stay with him through the long evening . One could take dictation from his diction and he is one of the few Sachs who sings the written trills Wagner scattered throughout his music. Kozub is a fine Walter, a few Act Three squeaks aside (not during his big Prize Song though). If only he had made that Siegfried for Solti... Janowitz is an exquisite Eva, Fassbaender a lively Magdalene. Schreier relaxes more under Sawallisch's direction than Karajan's and sings David very well. Crass is a luxury as Pogner. Leib surprises us by singing Beckmesser with nobility. He manages the high A in Act Three after a moment of indecision. Why Wagner included that note is anyone's guess. The supporting mastersingers are all up to the task, even the Italian ones. Chorus and orchestra perform very well for Sawallisch. The sound is excellent stereo. If Meistersinger is your thing, get this. You won't regret it!

one of the best Meistersinger performances I have ever heard due to Sawallisch

cast magnifique, ensemble solide

A wonderfull performance. Adam, Crass and Janowitz at their best, Schreier less moderate than under Karajan, Kozub very interesting, more on the \""Heldentenor\"" side than sweeter Konya or Kollo. The biggest surprise for me was the beauty and precision Leib gave to Beckmesser (only the \""blüh und wachs\"" beyond his powers). And Sawallisch proves that he is one of the greatest \""Kapellmeister\"" (giving more weight to craftmenship and wisdom than to geniality).

I have probably two dozen MEISTERSINGERs in my collection and the favourite has been the 1967 Munich under Kubelik. I got this one last week and it is a gem! The Kubelik still comes in first but this Sawallisch is a close second. The sound is full, rich, and clear. Adam is a superb Sachs and Kozub, an almost forgotten tenor today (one wonders how his career would've gone had he succeeded as Siegfried for Solti's Decca recording), gives a strong performance as Walther lacking nothing except the sweetness of Konya for Kubelik who caressed the Prize Song as few others have done. Opera Depot is to be commended for making this set available and I recommend grabbing it.