The Master Singers of Nuremberg
Plot
First act
The knight Walther von Stolzing has come to Nuremberg to take up residence. He dismounts at the workshop of the goldsmith Veit Pogner and falls in love with his daughter Eva as soon as he sets eyes on her. The feeling is mutual.
When mass is over the young knight plucks up courage and speaks to Eva. He discovers that she is to be betrothed to the winner of a singing competition and resolves to win the contest himself.
Eva’s companion Magdalene asks her fiancé David to explain the rules of mastersinging to Walther. David, who is learning the art of mastersinging as well as shoemaking from the cobbler Hans Sachs, has little success explaining the complicated rules to the knight. Stolzing swiftly realises that he will not be able to undergo the protracted learning process and that he will have to accomplish a master song without preparation.
The Masters arrive for their regular meeting. The town clerk Sixtus Beckmesser, who has ambitions to win the competition and to claim the hand of Eva, is suspicious about a point of the competition rules drawn up by Pogner. The ageing bachelor sees little hope for himself if Pogner’s daughter is not forced to marry the winner of the contest.
Walther von Stolzing pretends to Polger that he has come to Nuremberg to become a Mastersinger and requests inclusion in the guild of singers. Pogner is delighted.
He informs the gathering that he will be offering the hand of his daughter in marriage rather than prize money to this year’s victor. Hans Sachs raises objections. He suggests that Eva and the people should decide on the winner rather than the competition jury. However, his suggestion is rejected amid concern that consulting the people could result in an easing of the strict rules and a deterioration in the standard of the singing.
The young knight, whom Pogner introduces as a contender for the title, confuses the Mastersingers. When asked about his teachers he mentions Walther von der Vogelweide and the twittering of the birds in spring. Under the rules this means he can be considered neither a poet nor a singer. Nonetheless he is permitted to perform a song and to put his skills to the test. Inspired by his love, he sings with great passion. Beckmesser is the marker and takes delight in noting the infringements of his rival for Eva’s hand, the screeching of chalk on slate punctuating the performance. Despite the support of Hans Sachs the Masters unanimously reject the young knight’s application.
Second act
Magdalene asks David how the knight has fared. David informs her of Walther von Stolzing’s rejection.
Veit Pogner seeks in vain to justify his decision to his daughter.
Magdalene tells Eva that Beckmesser is planning to serenade her that evening to try out the song that he plans to perform the next day. Eva convinces her friend to appear at the window in her place.
Hans Sachs is unable to concentrate on his shoemaking. The appearance of the young knight in the singing school has irritated him even though he cannot work out why.
Eva attempts to find out from Sachs how Walther fared with the Masters. He informs her of the knight’s failure. Her severe reaction betrays her love for the knight and he realises that it is now down to him to help the two young people.
Eva and Walther resolve to flee from Nuremberg. Sachs, who has been eavesdropping on the couple, seeks to prevent their departure and launches into a rousing rendition of a cobbler’s song and bars their way.
It is now that Beckmesser appears and sings his song. Sachs, who declares himself the marker, bangs his hammer whenever Beckmesser breaks a rule of style. The racket wakes the local residents. The uproar grows and eventually everyone is involved: apprentices, guild members and Masters, residents and housewives fly into a rage, settle old scores with one another and finally become embroiled in a mass brawl.
Walther and Eva seek to take advantage of the turmoil and flee but at the last moment Sachs stops them. He pushes Eva into her home and takes Walter with him.
Third act
The incident prompts Sachs to reflect on the causes of such outbreaks of violence which are so common throughout human history. He can find no explanation and turns his attention to his most pressing task: helping the two young people to find happiness.
Walther von Stolzing has had a wonderful dream and tells Sachs all about it. Hans Sachs shows him that form is as important as inspiration in the art of mastersinging so that his feelings and experiences have a shape in which they can be retained. With the help of Sachs Walther von Stolzing shapes his dream into a song.
Beckmesser creeps in and finds the text of Walther’s song which Sachs has written down. He now believes that he has proof that the cobbler is also planning to take part in the contest to win Eva’s hand. Sachs gives him the song. Beckmesser is excited and already envisions himself as the victor, having made Sachs promise never to reveal himself as the song’s creator.
On the pretext that her new shoes are pinching, Eva visits Sachs. While he is examining the shoes Stolzing appears. The presence of his beloved inspires him to create the third verse of his song.
Sachs appoints his apprentice as a guild member and blesses Walther’s master song. All depart for the meadow where the winner of the contest and the fate of Eva and Walther are to be decided.
The people gather to celebrate Midsummer’s Day on the meadow with music and dancing.
The contest gets underway. Beckmesser fails miserably in his attempt to perform Stolzing’s song, which he simply cannot understand. To avoid ridicule he indicates that Sachs is the author of the drivel he has performed.
Sachs disputes authorship and demands that a witness be heard who is in a position to perform the song properly. Walther von Stolzing is summoned and his wonderful performance enchants first the people and then the Masters. Eva crowns the undisputed victor.
Veit Pogner wants to proclaim the knight a Mastersinger but he brusquely declines. He wants to marry Eva but will have nothing more to do with the Masters. It is only when Sachs reminds him that the Masters have been responsible for maintaining the tradition of the German art over the centuries that Stolzing agrees to be accepted into the guild amid widespread jubilation.